> I got a
> chance to use the Mite Away product last year and results so far are
> excellent...

The people I know up here who have used Mite Away or a similar pad have had
variable results and have moved to other treatments.  One of the problems
with single-shot applications is that a fixed, rather large dose is placed
on the hive, and is expected to be released over quite a long period.  The
problem is that weather in most regions during ideal treatment 'time
windows' tends to be very unpredictable, and the beekeeper is often unable
to predict or control the release.  If the weather happens to be ideal, then
a good result is achieved.

If weather turns out hot, release may be too fast.  If weather is cool,
release may be slower than expected.  A beekeeper could go and fiddle with
the treatment and try to open or close the holes in the plastic, and some
have done so, but IMO other formic techniques offer more control and limited
potential for damage.  For example, the multiple pad (Mite-Wipe is one name
for it) treatment requires more visits, but a limited dose, designed to be
correct for immediate release each time, is placed on the hive, and provides
multiple 'shots' of short duration, one after each visit.

> Unfortunately, it is not a good treatment for those who live in areas
> where temperatures in the 80's persist until late in the year.  Those
> temperatures cause the formic to release too quickly, with damage to
> the bees...

As far as I know, any formic treatment can kill brood, but from what I have
heard, the long duration methods tend to have an effect that may turn out to
be lasting and adversely affect production in some situations.  I have not
heard that said of the short duration methods.

These treatments are discussed on various links for the 'Selected Topics'
page at http://www.honeybeeworld.com, and there are pictures of our use of
the small pad method on the site.

Whatever method is chosen, use of formic requires more thought and
monitoring, and can have more variable results than Apistan and Checkmite+
have historically displayed.

A big advantage of formic is that it hits tracheal mites even harder and
faster than it hits varroa.  In fact, I wonder how many of the losses
reported are caused by tracheal or by tracheal combined with varroa.

allen
A Beekeeper's Diary: http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/

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