Thank you! I struggled with so many different views on treatment or treatment free at the beginning of my beekeeping journey. I finally realized that for me I needed to choose a path that I could be "Happy" with. I follow that path today but with a very open mind and always will to learn. Thanks again for being a excellent teacher!
Great video David! I’m getting ready to swap a solid bottom board for a screened, I got rushed and had to throw a solid on this spring. also start brood cycle break tomorrow. My three hives drawn out their GDC and I have been waiting for them to be layed in all the sudden, bang they filled them full of nectar. So I’ll pull them and give them fresh GDC frames. Great video, thank you for clarifying treatments. I myself would like to be armed with better information on that subject. We will be anxiously awaiting your next video. have a blessed day.
Thank you David! I bought your beekeeping class and it's given me the confidence to think about how to deal with the various issues and hopefully make good decisions. I am just in my first beekeeping season and both of my nucs swarmed within 2 weeks of installation, I decided to feed them and let them be bees. In the last week, both colonies now have laying queens. While I was waiting for the new queens to emerge, I had been thinking about how I would deal with mites when I start having laying queens again. I started wondering if swarming isn't so bad, sure you lose half of your colony but you get a fresh queen and in the process, you also break the brood cycle of the mites. Now that I have queens again, I think I will start with a powder sugar roll to see how bad the mite situation is. I did put a green drone combs in my hives, so I hope they do get drawn out soon. My colonies have screen bottom boards and I have plenty of powdered sugar. I did pick up some apivar, which I think if these methods you taught in your class do not work, I will move toward... We will see. Thank you!
Morning David, after your suggestion to move a frame into the top deep I plan on doing that during inspection today. If they have yet to pull any new comb even though there's allot of activity I may melt & paint additional paraffin on the frames to move things along. Thank you for the mite treatment tips, you're really helpful~
Thanks for another great video. It is so important to follow the science. I got so much bad advice about mites from fellow beekeepers when I first started out. It is one issue beekeepers typically seem to have very strong opinions and try to convince you to do the same. I appreciate your factual approach and encouragement for beekeepers to discover what works for their hives. Looking forward to the next one!
Ha David good video I am using apivar this month for mites I like it because it does not make the queen quit laying we have a short window here we are in a dearth and when she shuts down it is hard to get her going again we have no far flow where I am and I know the bees born in aug are the ones who will be caring for my fat bees born in sept The hives have to be strong for winter. Oh u forgot to put the link for the gloves u were using Thanks Have a good 4th
Thank you for the video it has eased my mind about using the Avipar product. I found your demonstration to be very helpful. What do you know about CBPV? I have 2 new nucs this year and they both seem to have the virus.
If you don’t remove the super from the hive when you treat with Apivar can you ever use the same super to harvest honey for yourself again or is it tainted forever? I have a medium super on a deep because I don’t have another deep to put on it right now and was wondering if I’d be better off to take it off even though that hive is already full in that bottom deep box. Thanks! Caleb Willman from Southern Illinois
Is pulling off your honey super to protect humans or bees consumption of honey? In other words if I don't use my honey to eat can I leave the honey super on?
I put four Apavar strips last weekend and didn't remove the Honey supers . I was thinking there wasn't any need in it since I wasn't going to harvest the honey this year. Is it bad for the bees to eat that honey ? Will that honey be unsafe for me to harvest next spring if any is left ?
Amitraz strips no longer work in my area. Commercial guys around here still use smuggled off label Amitraz 20% dilution. Mites have developed resistance.
Hello David great video. I have been hearing good things about Apiguard so this year I tried it for the first time. I was not happy with it at all but I know every hive is different and weather , location etc . Was just checking to see if you have tried it or not ? . I have got a little behind on your video’s but catching up now . THANKS
hey david I have a question my dad back in the day never treated for mites or any thing and his bee's did great every year we had plenty of honey he just left them alone, what did bee's do before people came in the picture about mites, and what about wild bee's in tree trunks how do they deal with mites. great videos
Varroa destructor mites came into the US in 1987 and spread over the next few years. Could your dad have kept bees prior to mites?? When mites hit the US they practically wiped out all the feral colonies in trees etc.
@@beek Thanks yes he had them before 87 they was jet black bee's and mean as hell, and the honey was black and iv'e not tasted any like it in over 40 years. I'm trying it this year a newbie to bee's, my queen was not marked and I have not seen her but I know she's there i have plenty of brood, larva, and some drone cone they already on the second deep box I stopped feeding them two weeks ago and the hive has tripled in size seems to be doing good I live in the hills of WV I dont know if that helps the bee's or not Iv'e been going back and watching all your videos thanks for getting back to me.
I'm an O.A. guy, I treat year-round usually monthly. Mid-Atlantic states have warm summers and my bee's beard during this time of the year. In your opinion should I continue my routine or wait until the bees stop bearding in the fall? Thanks, your videos are most informative, and my favorites are when you are hands on conditions. Thanks again
Newbie. here - about to receive a top bar nuc - and wondering if you have to remove the honey when using these treatments, how could you do that with a top bar hive?
Hi William, Always leave the honey in the brood boxes for the colony. That belongs to the bees. www.honeybeesonline.com/online-basic-beekeeping-course-online/
I cannot put my weight in essential oil when other treatments have been tested and show to be nearly 90 efficacy or higher. That's not to say that some essential oils may work just as good. But until I see the actual studies and peer testing, I think we need to stay with safe and proven ways.
No, because you need to remove them after 42/56 days maximum. If you plan it and take them off before you put the hive to bed for winter, then yes. ALWAYS follow the label.
I enjoy the content your making and wanted to ask, in honor of Varro mite control, is your mite control course included in the ultimate beekeeping course?
The label did NOT have any temperature restrictions, and I do not believe it will kill below the capped cells, but that's why we leave it on for 42 days, 2 life cycles of bees.
So how does one treat medium brood boxes with Apivar, does anyone know? I used it last fall on my double deeps and got what I think was a great kill (plenty of dead mites on the landing board, found no mites testing after treatment) but I found double deeps too heavy to deal with so we're moving to deep + medium format. I googled it and didn't find anything specific to mediums, wasn't willing to sit through 25 youtube tutorials to see if they mention it... the directions don't seem to.
I really don’t know. Mites explosion is based on bee population explosions so it the heat drives the population down it could drive mites down a tiny bit I guess.
while googleing bees and bee packages.... i ran into a bee i'd never heard of. the saskatraz bee. suposedly, they have been specifically bred to be mite resistent. i don't think that meana you never have to worry about checking and treating your hives. but it's an interesting theory. the queens are geneticaly bred to be resistent. thus her offspring will be more resistent. what do you think david?
I need to see a true scientific study in the field that can show results. Otherwise, I have no idea. I have spoken many times and it is still my opinion that if there is a type/race of honey bee that is mite resistant, then that is what all the commercial beekeepers and hobbyist would use and mites would no longer be an issue. I have tried so many types of "mite resistant" stocks and have always been disappointed. Even if we can breed a line that is mite resistant, will they make honey? Can they survive winter? Can they dodge all other diseases and problems? To me, management is the answer, there is no quick fix or magic bullet.
I used formic pro last year seemed ok this year I put it in went out the next morning lots of dead bees so I pulled them out. Have you ever had that happen?
I cannot see any mites after taking photos of each frame and studying each bee. Should I do the powder test anyway? I live in very arid dry desert region.
So if I remove supers for treatment of brood box. .how do you get the bees out?? Problem here will be keeping the fire ants out of the super while off the hive .
I am in Florida and fire ants are always an issue. I found using ground cinnamon around and under the bee hives . When i stored boxes / honey supers I put them in a dry location. Place a cut open brown paper bag from the store down and place a bucket in the center . Then I stock my boxes/ supers. Finally I place a good amount of cinnamon around the base of the bucket on the paper bag. This seems to help out allot. Friend of mine just Vaseline on his bucket. Claims the ants get stuck and can't make it to the supers. . Happy days
I'm gonna murder them 300 everytime. I've been doing an alcohol washes every month for the past year on my 20 hives to get a feel of how well my OAV treatments work. I do 2g OAV 3-4 days apart 6-7 times. Works pretty well for me so far. I'll be sharing my results soon in a video.
Apivar is good, but their packaging is terrible. Why not sell 12 packs, 3 sealed packs of 4. Much less waste. BTW, you do not have to remove them after 42 days.
Thank you! I struggled with so many different views on treatment or treatment free at the beginning of my beekeeping journey. I finally realized that for me I needed to choose a path that I could be "Happy" with. I follow that path today but with a very open mind and always will to learn. Thanks again for being a excellent teacher!
Thanks David for taking the time explaining these chemicals.
Great video David! I’m getting ready to swap a solid bottom board for a screened, I got rushed and had to throw a solid on this spring. also start brood cycle break tomorrow. My three hives drawn out their GDC and I have been waiting for them to be layed in all the sudden, bang they filled them full of nectar. So I’ll pull them and give them fresh GDC frames. Great video, thank you for clarifying treatments. I myself would like to be armed with better information on that subject. We will be anxiously awaiting your next video. have a blessed day.
Thank you David! I bought your beekeeping class and it's given me the confidence to think about how to deal with the various issues and hopefully make good decisions. I am just in my first beekeeping season and both of my nucs swarmed within 2 weeks of installation, I decided to feed them and let them be bees. In the last week, both colonies now have laying queens. While I was waiting for the new queens to emerge, I had been thinking about how I would deal with mites when I start having laying queens again. I started wondering if swarming isn't so bad, sure you lose half of your colony but you get a fresh queen and in the process, you also break the brood cycle of the mites. Now that I have queens again, I think I will start with a powder sugar roll to see how bad the mite situation is. I did put a green drone combs in my hives, so I hope they do get drawn out soon. My colonies have screen bottom boards and I have plenty of powdered sugar. I did pick up some apivar, which I think if these methods you taught in your class do not work, I will move toward... We will see. Thank you!
Excellent David. As always I really enjoy your videos. Have a safe holiday.
Hey David you are the best. Thank you so much. Lex From Alberta Canada.
Thanks for the videos
Thank you so much
Morning David, after your suggestion to move a frame into the top deep I plan on doing that during inspection today. If they have yet to pull any new comb even though there's allot of activity I may melt & paint additional paraffin on the frames to move things along. Thank you for the mite treatment tips, you're really helpful~
I'm strongly against using paraffin on your frames. Real bees wax is better.
@@beek okay thanks, I will seek a supply of beeswax or simply be patient.
Thanks!
WoW!! Thank you so much for the SUPER THANKS/TIP!!!!!!
Thanks for another great video. It is so important to follow the science. I got so much bad advice about mites from fellow beekeepers when I first started out. It is one issue beekeepers typically seem to have very strong opinions and try to convince you to do the same. I appreciate your factual approach and encouragement for beekeepers to discover what works for their hives. Looking forward to the next one!
Ha David good video I am using apivar this month for mites I like it because it does not make the queen quit laying we have a short window here we are in a dearth and when she shuts down it is hard to get her going again we have no far flow where I am and I know the bees born in aug are the ones who will be caring for my fat bees born in sept The hives have to be strong for winter. Oh u forgot to put the link for the gloves u were using Thanks Have a good 4th
Thank you David for a good lesson. Hoping you and Sherri have a safe and wonderful Independence Day. 🇺🇸
Thank you for the video it has eased my mind about using the Avipar product. I found your demonstration to be very helpful.
What do you know about CBPV? I have 2 new nucs this year and they both seem to have the virus.
If you don’t remove the super from the hive when you treat with Apivar can you ever use the same super to harvest honey for yourself again or is it tainted forever? I have a medium super on a deep because I don’t have another deep to put on it right now and was wondering if I’d be better off to take it off even though that hive is already full in that bottom deep box.
Thanks!
Caleb Willman from Southern Illinois
Apivar has a great website that answers questions like this: www.blog-veto-pharma.com/en/most-asked-questions-concerning-apivar/
Is pulling off your honey super to protect humans or bees consumption of honey? In other words if I don't use my honey to eat can I leave the honey super on?
Dave, thanks for your videos. I look forward for the videos on different treatment options.
I put four Apavar strips last weekend and didn't remove the Honey supers . I was thinking there wasn't any need in it since I wasn't going to harvest the honey this year. Is it bad for the bees to eat that honey ? Will that honey be unsafe for me to harvest next spring if any is left ?
Amitraz strips no longer work in my area. Commercial guys around here still use smuggled off label Amitraz 20% dilution. Mites have developed resistance.
Hope you do the same for all the other treatments, because that was clear and very informative. Thankyou
Thanks, that's my plan.
Thank you!
Hello David great video. I have been hearing good things about Apiguard so this year I tried it for the first time. I was not happy with it at all but I know every hive is different and weather , location etc . Was just checking to see if you have tried it or not ? . I have got a little behind on your video’s but catching up now . THANKS
hey david I have a question my dad back in the day never treated for mites or any thing and his bee's did great every year we had plenty of honey he just left them alone, what did bee's do before people came in the picture about mites, and what about wild bee's in tree trunks how do they deal with mites. great videos
Varroa destructor mites came into the US in 1987 and spread over the next few years. Could your dad have kept bees prior to mites?? When mites hit the US they practically wiped out all the feral colonies in trees etc.
@@beek Thanks yes he had them before 87 they was jet black bee's and mean as hell, and the honey was black and iv'e not tasted any like it in over 40 years. I'm trying it this year a newbie to bee's, my queen was not marked and I have not seen her but I know she's there i have plenty of brood, larva, and some drone cone they already on the second deep box I stopped feeding them two weeks ago and the hive has tripled in size seems to be doing good I live in the hills of WV I dont know if that helps the bee's or not
Iv'e been going back and watching all your videos thanks for getting back to me.
I'm an O.A. guy, I treat year-round usually monthly. Mid-Atlantic states have warm summers and my bee's beard during this time of the year. In your opinion should I continue my routine or wait until the bees stop bearding in the fall? Thanks, your videos are most informative, and my favorites are when you are hands on conditions. Thanks again
The bees on the outside are not getting as much coverage with OA
OA . is not good with capped brood . You would have to treat every other day for 24 day when there is brood to get a good kill right
Could you do the a video on tropi mites? I know they aren’t hear yet but what do we do when they arrive?
Thank you brother.
Newbie. here - about to receive a top bar nuc - and wondering if you have to remove the honey when using these treatments, how could you do that with a top bar hive?
Great question for my livestream tonight at 7pm central time. Here's the link: ua-cam.com/users/liveDOmbY5uwA1M
How long do I do a brood break for using OA vape and is it legal now to use with supers on. Some say no, some sat yes.
Great video. If we are destin to have mites, why not just treat as a normal schedule to rearing bees?
Mainly because it is expensive and mites can and do become resistant to our treatments.
What about the honey stored in the brood boxes. if you have to pull the supers??.
Hi William, Always leave the honey in the brood boxes for the colony. That belongs to the bees.
www.honeybeesonline.com/online-basic-beekeeping-course-online/
Very informative, thank you. Are there Natural ways like Essential Oil treatments to deter Mites?
I cannot put my weight in essential oil when other treatments have been tested and show to be nearly 90 efficacy or higher. That's not to say that some essential oils may work just as good. But until I see the actual studies and peer testing, I think we need to stay with safe and proven ways.
Hey David......looking for the link to the Amazon gloves you mention in this video, Thanks
In my newest video on gloves
Helpful
Glad you think so!
Would you ever put these in right before you wrap them up for winter and remove in the spring?
No, because you need to remove them after 42/56 days maximum. If you plan it and take them off before you put the hive to bed for winter, then yes. ALWAYS follow the label.
I enjoy the content your making and wanted to ask, in honor of Varro mite control, is your mite control course included in the ultimate beekeeping course?
Thank you David. Are there temperature restrictions? Will this get mites in capped frames?
The label did NOT have any temperature restrictions, and I do not believe it will kill below the capped cells, but that's why we leave it on for 42 days, 2 life cycles of bees.
New beekeeper here…do you have to take the honey supers off for all of the chemical mite treatments?
Not formic pro
@@beek Thanks!
So how does one treat medium brood boxes with Apivar, does anyone know? I used it last fall on my double deeps and got what I think was a great kill (plenty of dead mites on the landing board, found no mites testing after treatment) but I found double deeps too heavy to deal with so we're moving to deep + medium format. I googled it and didn't find anything specific to mediums, wasn't willing to sit through 25 youtube tutorials to see if they mention it... the directions don't seem to.
The label must be followed. I do not think the company studied the application except on deep boxes. Shortsightedness on the companies part maybe.
I've been wanting to ask you if you think there's more mites and more mite problems in areas where there's less water than other areas?
Thank you.
I really don’t know. Mites explosion is based on bee population explosions so it the heat drives the population down it could drive mites down a tiny bit I guess.
What about outside temperatures some can't be used if it to hot
Good afternoon David, what is the coupon code for the 4th of July sale? I am trying to purchase the 6 course bundle.
No coupon code needed. The prices are set for 1/2 price for July 4, 2022 only. www.honeybeesonline.com/online-beekeeping-academy/
while googleing bees and bee packages.... i ran into a bee i'd never heard of. the saskatraz bee. suposedly, they have been specifically bred to be mite resistent. i don't think that meana you never have to worry about checking and treating your hives. but it's an interesting theory. the queens are geneticaly bred to be resistent. thus her offspring will be more resistent. what do you think david?
I need to see a true scientific study in the field that can show results. Otherwise, I have no idea. I have spoken many times and it is still my opinion that if there is a type/race of honey bee that is mite resistant, then that is what all the commercial beekeepers and hobbyist would use and mites would no longer be an issue. I have tried so many types of "mite resistant" stocks and have always been disappointed. Even if we can breed a line that is mite resistant, will they make honey? Can they survive winter? Can they dodge all other diseases and problems? To me, management is the answer, there is no quick fix or magic bullet.
didn't see the glove link
thanks I said the same thing
I used formic pro last year seemed ok this year I put it in went out the next morning lots of dead bees so I pulled them out. Have you ever had that happen?
I've never had it happen to me but hear it from others. I wonder if it was so hot that the treatment overwhelmed the bees.
I cannot see any mites after taking photos of each frame and studying each bee. Should I do the powder test anyway? I live in very arid dry desert region.
An alcohol or powdered sugar test is the best way. They are hard to see.
Tired to sign up yesterday for all 6 courses and it kept saying there was an error and didn't complete the order.
So if I remove supers for treatment of brood box. .how do you get the bees out?? Problem here will be keeping the fire ants out of the super while off the hive .
Brush them off frame by frame or use a bee escape, such as a Porter bee escape
Put legs of stand in bucket fill 1/2 with water it will keep them out. Works great for me.
I am in Florida and fire ants are always an issue. I found using ground cinnamon around and under the bee hives . When i stored boxes / honey supers I put them in a dry location. Place a cut open brown paper bag from the store down and place a bucket in the center . Then I stock my boxes/ supers. Finally I place a good amount of cinnamon around the base of the bucket on the paper bag. This seems to help out allot. Friend of mine just Vaseline on his bucket. Claims the ants get stuck and can't make it to the supers. . Happy days
To bee clean , There is no such thing as organic honey .No one can control what your bees are collecting .
Hopgaurd 3
I'm gonna murder them 300 everytime. I've been doing an alcohol washes every month for the past year on my 20 hives to get a feel of how well my OAV treatments work. I do 2g OAV 3-4 days apart 6-7 times. Works pretty well for me so far. I'll be sharing my results soon in a video.
Apivar failed me last year. I won't use it again
Why aren't you using medical Nitrile Gloves David. They are much nicer than them big bags you have on... 😁
Not at all sting proof
Apivar is good, but their packaging is terrible. Why not sell 12 packs, 3 sealed packs of 4. Much less waste. BTW, you do not have to remove them after 42 days.
The label is the law, and you must remove them after 42 days or maximum of 56 days as I mentioned in the video.
@@beek LOL. I am sure that is high on enforcements radar.
You don’t murder them, but sacrifice them for the good for the colony.
Who walked by? LOL
Hit the like button lol
80 percent of the mites are in the capped brood if you have sheets of brood
Does anyone in the Bee community not treat?
Tons of people do not treat and I do not treat some of my colonies, especially those with low mite counts.