> Randy>The math indicates that only a portion of the mites were killed in
> the
> first 24 hrs.
>
I have run them longer- up to four days, but when your mite count is low I
find 24 hours is just fine. Even with Bill's count, in essence it doubled
after four days, which keeps getting me back to the fact that mite counts
in the 100-to even 400 range after 24 hours would be fine in late
Sept/early Oct in my area since thanksgiving would clean them up fine.
Also, to get those drops required an OAV treatment, so you already reduced
the mite count.
My point is that many new to OAV saw mite counts of 100 or so and
immediately went into a 5x4 treatment when none was needed. They were still
in the alcohol wash treatment protocols.
As far as my not counting correctly, I obviously am not doing it right
because I continually get mite counts near zero or below 20 for most of the
year and only see any increase in early autumn, the time of the hives
around me were collapsing from Varroa. But I now have most around me
treating with OAV (I am mentoring them) so I did not see the normal influx
of invading bees this year.
A couple of more things. Even in my small group I see differences of varroa
counts among hives in the same apiary. I am still trying to figure that
out, but have my guesses. I have a nice test bed, since I have,along with
myself, a newbee, a third year, and an older beekeeper to keep track of. I
also have the standard mix of attention to bees in that group. But all
treat more or less to my schedule which is a spring treatment and count
(the reason for the treatment is to get the count and kill mites), an end
of clover after extraction treatment for mite count and determine if
addition treatments are needed, then a late Sept/early Oct (temperature
dependent) treatment for count and additional treatments if required (this
is the one that I have been writing about, that the counts can be "high" -
in the 100s, but there is no need to go into a x-by-x treatment schedule.
Then the final one, the Thanksgiving treatment when they are have low
brood.
So far every year in spring I have near zero mite counts and that stays
fairly steady through to the October treatment. Again, the time for colony
collapse.
Another observation- those in the Bee groups I belong to who treat with
OAV and MAQS, and other treatments do not have the success I have with
just OAV. Plus, those who use other than the wand, also have mixed
results.That is bolstered by the study Bill H posted. The wand gives
consistent results with OAV.
Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine
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