>Extract from a letter from Eric MacArthur, Scotland Mite fall is monitored continuously >and if mite drop a week after the December oxalic treatment averages more than 1.5 >mites per day the fumigation treatment is repeated. Thanks for that. Has anyone tabulated and posted typical results online to the knowledge of anyone on this list? > In the past I relied on a maximum of 4 oxalic acid treatments using 1.5 g each cycle. How many brood chambers do you use at that time of year ? > Oxalic acid on its own I am now convinced is not effective in preventing a rapid summer mite build up - see attached new findings by European experts. That opinion seems to be pretty well unanimous and the goal is to get control in the window of time when the hives are broodless. I'm discovering (once again) that the window is somewhat elusive when there are more than a few hives. Moreover, when that condition does occur, the weather may be unsuitable here in the Great White North. Do you happen to have a link to those findings, or could I get a copy off-list? > ( He was using this as his only mite treatment and its not so effective with brood > present, however there are other methods available to give a quick knock down > to keep mite numbers low). If you could elaborate on what is being used, I would appreciate it. >We often move hives fully closed hivers in cool weather ...and you have about an hour >before you do any damage - overheating That is interesting. I wonder how airtight they are? A 1/16" crack along one side, like along the floor adds up to 1.2 square inches. Bees can move a lot of air through 1 square inch. My hives are EPS and the mating surfaces are soft enough to conform to one another more than wood, eliminating such air leaks however the bottoms have cracks where air can move.. >Three days off before getting back into supering Have fun! We have three more _months_ before we even start our spring field work. Thanks for the comments. Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0 51 33'39.64"N 113 18'52.45"W http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/ *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at: http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm