How oxalic acid syrup spreads on bees

[Poppi]

Let me say that I expected an 80% decrease in mite population.  This would have made me happy.  ApiLife Var says up to 90% or so...  my count before treatment was 100+ for 24 hours...  this is a small hive, one deep brood box...  almost all frames are full now of stores,  bees seem healthy enough but after the thymol treatment for 3 weeks...  mite count only dropped to 60/24hr period.  I also see some deformed wing virus...  only a few bees... this is what concerns me.

So this is what I am doing to try and lower the mite count...  I don't think powdered sugar is a "treatment", but it will knock off some mites.  I started last week with powdered sugar dusting, did mite count within 1 hour, wait 2 days, do mite count, 2 more days another dusting, for 16 days...  I am now at day 10 and I just checked the mite count (24 hours) and it is down to 30.  I have two more dustings and at the end I will do a mite count to see if the count is lower.  Then monitor weekly to watch.

I know when the brood slows the mite count drops as well.  I want to get it as low as I can before they cluster.  Thanks Finski for your input,  John

[Finski]

.
Wait to the end of December. Then open the hives and take brood frames off.
With oxalic trickling you achieve 96% dead rate of mites.

Soon bees start a new season and at  least your start is ok.

[Poppi]

Thanks Finski...    that is what I will do...   I am so far south, I don't have the cold winters to deal with like you and I have talked with local beekeepers and swarms can start as early as late January or February.  One beekeeper has offered to let me catch swarms from her hives...  If I catch a swarm, would you suggest that I do the oxalic dribble on them before they start building brood....   or let it go until I check the mite count...  I know she has these hives 5 years and has never treated for varroa.

Again, thanks for all your help!

John

[Finski]

hives...  If I catch a swarm, would you suggest that I do the oxalic dribble on them before they start building brood....

absolutely yes! when the swarms have settled into the hive after 3 days.

The queen do not start lay at once. It waits that bees have drawn combs.

Eggs stay 3 days and bees have not spent much energy to them. Trickling destroyes open brood. So you should handle then with oxalic after the colony has settled and before they start to feed larvae.

To treet the swarm cluster, I do not know how it works. It is too thick mass of bees to treat.

.........