Posted By: FurFlyin
Overwintering bees and varroa mite test - 01/20/18 03:33 PM
Not exactly a double blind test but here's what I did. 2016 I treated half my hives with Oxalic Acid in the summer. Last winter I lost 30% (off the top of my head) of the treated bees and the untreated half, I lost 70%. Pretty clear cut results to me.
Late summer of this year I treated all my hives at home with Apivar strips. 21 hives. I had 4 hives at the shop that I did not treat.
As of today, I have lost one hive at home. 95.24% surival rate, so far. As of today at the shop, I have lost 3 out of 4. 25% survial rate.
I tried to be a "treatment free" beekeeper for the first 3 years I kept bees. I got tired of losing at a minimum 50% of my hives every year, so now I treat. I don't like chemicals in the hive, but I hate trying to replace bees at an unreplacable rate.
I got every hive with a hive top feeder fed today. I will suit up fully tomorrow and put dry sugar on top of the hives with no hive top feeder.
One thing learned today is that bees coming off a bad cold snap, in the middle of winter are PISSED OFF at the world. I did okay until I opened a couple of hives to see how large the cluster was. It was large and they came out in full force. Luckily I had my veil on, but no jacket. My fingers and wrists are red and itchy, but I at least got the first stings of the year out of the way, so no more itching for the rest of the year.
Late summer of this year I treated all my hives at home with Apivar strips. 21 hives. I had 4 hives at the shop that I did not treat.
As of today, I have lost one hive at home. 95.24% surival rate, so far. As of today at the shop, I have lost 3 out of 4. 25% survial rate.
I tried to be a "treatment free" beekeeper for the first 3 years I kept bees. I got tired of losing at a minimum 50% of my hives every year, so now I treat. I don't like chemicals in the hive, but I hate trying to replace bees at an unreplacable rate.
I got every hive with a hive top feeder fed today. I will suit up fully tomorrow and put dry sugar on top of the hives with no hive top feeder.
One thing learned today is that bees coming off a bad cold snap, in the middle of winter are PISSED OFF at the world. I did okay until I opened a couple of hives to see how large the cluster was. It was large and they came out in full force. Luckily I had my veil on, but no jacket. My fingers and wrists are red and itchy, but I at least got the first stings of the year out of the way, so no more itching for the rest of the year.