Patrick
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Posts: 114
Location: Los Angeles California
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« on: March 18, 2008, 03:48:10 PM » |
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Hi,
I have a few questions after reading through many of the past post regarding mites and using powdered sugar to control them. To be clear my question does not concern using powdered sugar to detect mites. I have read several accounts of beekeepers pouring powdered sugar in between the frames in an effort to dialogue the mites. Most accounts seem to have applied several applications over a period of weeks. I am interested in hearing from anyone who has tried this method and in hearing your results and thoughts regarding effectiveness.
Cheers,
Patrick
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Bennettoid
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Location: Ocean City, Maryland, USA
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« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2008, 04:01:51 PM » |
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3 applications, 10 days apart, during a dearth, which for here is about August 15th to September 15th in a "normal" year.
And yes, it seems to work for me.
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KONASDAD
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« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2008, 04:04:38 PM » |
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Parasites have a geometric progression. If you kill one, you prevent perhaps thousands of additional mites from emerging. So, when you use sugar shake you are killing only a handful of mites at one time, therefore you must repeat often. I repeat about every 12-15 days. It will definately reduce mite loads and prevent explosions of mites as your colony population begins to dwindle as fall approaches and prevents mites from exceeding dangerous levels. Yes it works, but only if done frequently and before mite loads become excessive. It also helps to use a screened bottom board, otherwise mites fall onto bottom board and can re-attach as bees enter hive from foraging.
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"The more complex the Mind, the Greater the need for the simplicity of Play".
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kathyp
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« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2008, 04:23:02 PM » |
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i think it helped last year. by late summer, i was finding quite a few mites when i counted. i treated with apiguard. the PS seemed to really help keep the mites down in the middle of the summer.
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"Nay, it [this constitution of government] must perish, if there be not that vital spirit in the people, which alone can nourish, sustain, and direct all its movements. It is in vain, that statesmen shall form plans of government, in which the beauty and harmony of a republic shall be embodied in visible order, shall be built up on solid substructions, and adorned by every useful ornament, if the inhabitants suffer the silent power of time to dilapidate its walls, or crumble its massy supporters into dust; if the assaults from without are never resisted, and the rottenness and mining from within are never guarded against. Who can preserve the rights and liberties of the people, when they shall be abandoned by themselves? Who shall keep watch in the temple, when the watchmen sleep at their posts? Who shall call upon the people to redeem their possessions, and revive the republic, when their own hands have deliberately and corruptly surrendered them to the oppressor, and have built the prisons, or dug the graves of their own friends?
– Justice Joseph Story, "Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States," Volume II, Chapter XIII: Mode of Passing Laws, Sections 900-901, pp. 364 (1833)
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bberry
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Location: Sebastopol California
Playing with wool is good for your soul
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« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2008, 04:29:25 PM » |
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Learned a handy way to do p.s. shake the other day; use an old window screen and lay it over the open hive-pour your p.s on and brush over with your bee brush-works great!
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DayValleyDahlias
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« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2008, 06:44:31 PM » |
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Bberry,
That is good info...I am going to try that...
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annette
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« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2008, 09:46:24 PM » |
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Just curious, when you girls do the powdered sugar, do you just do the top super and let it fall on down to the bottom, or do you take the supers apart and do each super separately?? The reason I am asking is, last year I took all the supers apart and dusted them all separately, but boy or boy was that a lot of work for me.
This year I am just dusting the top super and letting it fall on down to the bottom. I hope it works just as good.
Patrick
To answer your question. I only do powdered sugar dusting as a way to control the mites. It worked really good for me last year as I said above that I did all the supers individually. A cup of powdered sugar for each super. (oh yeah, I also cut out drone brood once in a while)
This year I am only doing the top super and shall see how it goes. I am monitoring the mite count every other week and so far it us under control. Cannot get rid of them, just keep the count down.
Annette
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Brian D. Bray
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« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2008, 12:11:13 AM » |
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Learned a handy way to do p.s. shake the other day; use an old window screen and lay it over the open hive-pour your p.s on and brush over with your bee brush-works great!
I use the moving screen I made for use with top entrance hives, essentially and Imrie shim with screen stretched across it. Shake on the sugar, shake the moving screen a little bit and go to the next one. |
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Life is a school. What have you learned?  The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election! |
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bberry
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Playing with wool is good for your soul
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« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2008, 07:57:09 PM » |
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Brian-sounds even easier!
Annette-You don't need to open all the boxes-this methos gets the powdered sugar all the way down-you can see it within ten min. coming out the bottom-check your bb just in case.
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annette
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« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2008, 09:28:44 PM » |
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OK thanks
annette
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Cindi
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« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2008, 10:03:31 AM » |
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When you are performing the powdered sugar shakes, it is important that you do not leave a whole whack of sugar on the ground. Of course you are using screened bottom boards. Beneath these screened bottom boards please put some kind of newspaper or something to gather the excess sugar that falls through. This powdered sugar is not something that you want to leave on the ground, it can cause negative effects around the hives, like ants, bugs, ucky messy messes. Have a wonderful and beautiful day, sharing this great life we live. Cindi
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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service
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Patrick
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Location: Los Angeles California
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« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2008, 01:46:21 AM » |
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Cindi,
You make a good point about the mess and ants.
Cheers,
Patrick
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John Jones
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« Reply #12 on: April 28, 2008, 09:01:27 AM » |
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Hey Gang,
If you visit YouTube there is a beekeeper that does the Powered Sugar thing his way. Check it out.
John Jones
Stone Mountain, Ga.
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John Jones
Stone Mountain, Georgia
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annette
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« Reply #13 on: April 28, 2008, 04:36:43 PM » |
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OK, where is the link??
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Cindi
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« Reply #14 on: April 29, 2008, 10:02:25 PM » |
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Annette, he can't make a link yet because he doesn't have enough posting to be able to. Cindi
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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service
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HAB
HEAVENLY BEEKEEPER
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Location: S. Alabama, USA USDA Temp Zone 8A
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« Reply #15 on: April 29, 2008, 10:28:26 PM » |
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Its available at:
He powders each frame separately, don't know the language but its easy to follow.  If you cant make a link just copy and paste the url. |
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« Last Edit: April 29, 2008, 10:37:58 PM by buzzbee »
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annette
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« Reply #16 on: April 29, 2008, 10:54:39 PM » |
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I think if I had to do it like that, I would give up beekeeping. It was bad enough taking all the supers apart all last summer and doing each separately, but this is crazy. Look how it upsets the hive after he is done.
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HAB
HEAVENLY BEEKEEPER
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Location: S. Alabama, USA USDA Temp Zone 8A
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« Reply #17 on: April 29, 2008, 10:59:55 PM » |
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I agree, we plan to use a screen and just powder the tops of each super. |
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annette
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« Reply #18 on: April 29, 2008, 11:01:00 PM » |
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Good Idea!!!
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DayValleyDahlias
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« Reply #19 on: May 01, 2008, 09:39:01 AM » |
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Wow, that guy is bold...no stings? Amazing!
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John Jones
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« Reply #20 on: June 22, 2008, 03:37:04 PM » |
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This site will not allow a posting of links. Go to you tube, search on powered sugar. Look through the post and you will see it. It is in a non english but you will get info from the video.
John Jones
Stone Mountain, Ga.
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John Jones
Stone Mountain, Georgia
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Eshu
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« Reply #21 on: June 23, 2008, 03:08:12 PM » |
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The powdered sugar worked for one of my hives. The mites got away from me in the other hive. I was consistently getting 200 to 250 mites on the bottom board an hour after sifting. Now the hive has some DWV and I am treating with apiguard. Had I started dusting earlier, the sugar might have worked on this one. Dust early and dust often!
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Kimbrell
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« Reply #22 on: June 23, 2008, 11:51:13 PM » |
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I agree, that was one brave beek in the video! Wonder why he had plastic wrap on top of his super? He also seemed to use an inner cover with no hole. I don't think I'd do a shake this way either. It makes my girls mad enough when I Brush it on the tops of the frames. He sure knocked off a lot of mites, though.
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josbees
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« Reply #23 on: July 29, 2008, 08:31:14 AM » |
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I like the idea of the sugar shake and will apply it to my good hive. However, my hive that seems to be collapsing under wax moth and is queenless is also heavily mite infested. I had hoped to combine these workers with the ones in the good hive, but now I'm super cautious to do that because of the mites.
Any ideas as to a solution? Should I just let this hive fade away and suger treat the good hive as a preventive?
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Robo
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« Reply #24 on: July 29, 2008, 08:51:59 AM » |
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Any ideas as to a solution? Oxalic acid will knock the mites down Should I just let this hive fade away and suger treat the good hive as a preventive?
Why stress them out. I would suggest only treat when mite counts warrant it, not as a preventative. |
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josbees
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« Reply #25 on: July 29, 2008, 08:59:55 AM » |
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Are there any less nasty methods other than the acid?
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Robo
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« Reply #26 on: July 29, 2008, 11:06:58 AM » |
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Are there any less nasty methods other than the acid?
I guess that depends on your definition of nasty. I have no problem differentiating between hard chemicals such as fluvalinate (Apistan), coumaphos (Check Mite+) which are truly nasty and I would not use, and the soft chemicals such as organic acids which are in our diet daily. Ever eat sorrel, rhubarb, buckwheat, black pepper, parsley, spinach, chard, or beets? All of these have significant concentration of oxalic acid. A pound of spinach has 2x the amount of oxalic acid than used to treat a hive. http://www.guinealynx.info/diet_oxalic.html |
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« Last Edit: July 29, 2008, 12:46:20 PM by Robo »
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suprstakr
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« Reply #27 on: July 29, 2008, 12:04:28 PM » |
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WOW good info robo , cleared my way for oxalic!!!! P.S. I like spinach...
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josbees
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« Reply #28 on: July 29, 2008, 05:32:12 PM » |
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Point taken. And advice taken too. Thanks!
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