> Our weather is similar to Dr. Rodreguez's at Va.
> Beach except for the humidity. Our question is " should we suspend
> the fogger treatment of FGMO after the first frost and not resume
> treatment until we begin the spring population build up

One other thing.

Although you can fog whenever the bees are active, and the fog is more
likely to be effective in Fall, when brood rearing is low, the flip side of
the coin is that winter disturbance can result in winter loss.  Mice,
vibrations, intrusive winter inspections, etc can take a heavy toll on both
populations and also hive count.  I'm guessing that fogging during actual
winter conditions could too..

Although there is likely no real hard data on deleterious effects of fogging
at various times of year, I intuitively think that stopping at first frost
would likely be too soon.  Fall is an ideal time to find the mites
vulnerable, with little brood to invade, but I don't know when the bees
really settle in for the winter, and therefore should not be disturbed, in
your area.  Here, a thousand miles north of you, we figure mid-October is
the cutoff for treating bees (with anything).   That can be as much as two
months after the first frost.  (The cutoff date for invasive procedures like
inspecting and/or rearranging frames is *much* earlier, though).

Since we don't know exactly what works, and does not work, in your
climate -- you say it is like Virginia Beach and I recall seeing ice and
figid weather in VB in January -- you might be wise to talk to local
beekeepers in your area and get an opinion on how much disturbance the bees
can handle, and learn from them during which months -- if any -- they should
be left alone in your district.

allen
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/

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