Randy "We notice these days that our best honey producers often crash
pretty hard
a couple of months after the flow"

I've had hives since the late 60's and never saw late season best hive
collapses until Varroa.  First I saw was a hive that had produced 5 supers
of comb honey.  A month after the last super was removed it was empty!
I've always figured the hives with the largest populations of bees also
have the largest populations of Varroa and before I started early
treatments I suspected a point was reached where 70%-80% of worker larvae
was infected.  Hive collaspe followed shortly thereafter.

For the second consecutive year I have treated in January with Oxalic, May
and June with thymol, and August with formic.  Seems to be preventing hive
collaspe, but I no longer have hives capable of producing 5 supers of comb
honey.

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