Hop Guard

mdbee · July 17, 2011, 09:45:25 AM

I went back and read all the old post about it, is it working for anyone?

AllenF · July 17, 2011, 03:20:43 PM

I don't know of anyone using. It is only available in 9 states until 12/31 of this year when it expires under Section 8 emergency use.

mdbee · July 17, 2011, 09:27:07 PM

Thanks AllenF,
You would think being Available in 9 states someone has try ed it.

AllenF · July 17, 2011, 09:53:34 PM

I think it is still too new for most to have tried it. Passed section 8 in February and they are just trying to add states as they go. But I would like to hear from some who used it.

mdbee · July 19, 2011, 10:07:00 AM

Can anyone add to this post,Michael B, Brian, Robo . Would just like to here your opinion, good or bad.
Thanks,

AliciaH · July 19, 2011, 02:51:50 PM

The gentleman in charge of our club's apiary likes it and thinks it does a great job! Other people I've talked to are mixed in their results. I have not tried it yet, been waiting for more feedback myself. I have seen it applied, though, and it is very goopy stuff!

One of the presenters at the WSU Field Day (end of June) was asked whether or not they used/liked Hop Guard. Her response was that they had trouble keeping the strips in the box. They breed for hygienic behavior and the bees would tear the strips out right away!

AR Beekeeper · July 19, 2011, 05:36:10 PM

I have used it in two nucs. It kills mites (150+) but in the 100+ temps we are having it dries out in 2 days or less. It stopped dropping mites when it dried and when I placed a second strip in it killed about another 20 mites. This week end I will treat the full colony the nucs came from after all the brood has emerged and then rejoin the nuc with the queen.

Brian D. Bray · July 22, 2011, 11:19:46 PM

I'm experimenting with hops as a forage plant. I bought a hops plant and planted it in my beeyard where it will grow up and entwine along a 6 ft welded wire fence.

Once the plant gets established I'll start popping a few hops into the hive from time to time, at different stages of development so see what happens. I'm hoping that when the bees rip up the hop bud and remove it from the hive that the sap of the plant will affect the varroa. My understanding is that it was the reduction of varroa on bees pollenating hops crops in the Columbia River Valley of Eastern Washington that instituted the development of HopGuard.

T Beek · July 23, 2011, 03:39:42 PM

As a beek who has been growing hops longer than keeping bees and has virtually no varroa issues after six years my advise is to grow hops where ever you have bees. We currently grow Cascades, Centenial, and an English Golding right on the same fence behind and protecting our beeyard. They are just starting to bud out and I can almost see my bees licking their chops. Never thought of putting some inside the hive but there's no need as yet.

Oh yeah, we use the hops to make ales, the apparent bee health benefits are just another bonus besides the beer ;)

thomas