In a message dated 23/09/2006 13:11:26 GMT Standard Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

Yeah  Chris, but you are in the UK, where there isn't much of a winter. Your  
bees bring in pollen in February...from Ivy, isn't it? 


Ivy is just about to yield nectar and pollen now and will continue to do so  
for maybe a couple of months.  There's not much after that until goat  Willow, 
(Salix caprea) in March accelerates everyhting. If I want to use oxalic  I 
shall have to sacrifice brood.
 
 I looked into a few hives this afternoon taking Apiguard with me to  apply.  
The first hive, a this year swarm, isn't very strong but I couldn't  find any 
varroa so decided not to treat this year. The next had occasional  examples 
of bald brood at red eye stage. I hooked out a few and nearly every one  had a 
mite attached.  A couple of bald brood were almost mature. I hooked  them out 
and looked for mites on them but failed to find them. Of course mites  might 
have been left behind in the cells. They did get the Apiguard.
 
In another apiary, my only one that gave a decent yield in an exceptionally  
hot and dry year.
 
Chris

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