Buying nucs with mites

contactme_11 · June 22, 2009, 06:16:37 PM

I have the oppertunity to buy some nucs at an extremely reasonable price but they have mites. In both my bee yards I have no problems with them at the present time. How much of a bad idea is it to introduce them into the same general area? Is there a drastic treament (like what they use when treating packages for sale) that will kill them before I bring them home even if it means I won't be able to collect any honey from them this year?

Natalie · June 22, 2009, 06:48:36 PM

I wouldn't take them even if they were free. Do you really want to risk infecting all of your hives with mites?
Others may have a different idea/solution but I wouldn't do it myself.

Kathyp · June 22, 2009, 07:24:19 PM

almost all hives have mites to one extent or another. yours probably do also, but they have not been a problem for you. when you say they have mites, how many are we talking about? if your nucs have come from a treatment free yard, and are strong, they might be a good thing. if they are really infested, maybe not. you can always treat them. there are a number of different treatments. i use apiguard when i find the need to treat.

Scadsobees · June 22, 2009, 07:33:31 PM

I prefer mine with the mites on the side :-D

Apiguard can be used and you can put supers on when the treatment is over. That is my poison of choice as well.

As long as they don't have a really bad infestation, but then they shouldn't be sold in the first place.

The only bees without mite are bumblebees, ground bees, sweat bees, etc :roll:

Michael Bush · June 22, 2009, 08:55:41 PM

They all have mites.

Brian D. Bray · June 23, 2009, 02:14:15 AM

All bee hives in the USA and Canada have varroa mites, some more and less than others. The hives you have are probably hygenic in nature and so a visable mite problem is not noticed. Nucs are smaller weaker hives to the presence of mites would be more noticable. Give them time to build up to 2 or 3 hive bodies full of bees and chances are the mites will no longer be a visable problem if the bees are hygenic.

I wouldn't let the presence of mites stop me. But the complete absence of mites, such as in packages from Australia or Hawaii, might dissuade me because without some type of mite tolerance the hive will most like perish.

riverrat · June 23, 2009, 09:01:14 AM

show me a beekeep with hives that doesnt have mites and I mite just be able to show you a mite :-D

BeeHopper · June 23, 2009, 09:29:27 AM

Quote from: Michael Bush on June 22, 2009, 08:55:41 PM
They all have mites.

They say you are a man with few words and they are right :-D

mgmoore7 · June 23, 2009, 09:53:58 AM

If the queen is laying well and they are a good value, I would do it. As soon as you move them into a full deep, then treat them with your preferred treatment. That could even be powdered sugar dusting for several weeks in a row.

contactme_11 · June 23, 2009, 01:27:18 PM

Quote from: mgmoore7 on June 23, 2009, 09:53:58 AM
If the queen is laying well and they are a good value, I would do it. As soon as you move them into a full deep, then treat them with your preferred treatment. That could even be powdered sugar dusting for several weeks in a row.

Thats part of my problem. I've never really had any issues with mites so I don't even really know how to begin treating them. What really works? My goal is to start pollenation services in the next year or so, so any hives I can obtain cheap are worth the consideration. I just don't want to create more problems then I'm ready for.

John Schwartz · June 23, 2009, 01:32:15 PM

For treatment there are options and myriad opinions about it... worth spending a week or two searching/reading. Some of these options would include:

* Chemical treatment
* Formic acid
* Sugar dusting

A good term to search/read up on is IPM: Integrated Pest Management -- you'll finder differing viewpoints but it will give you more stuff to chew on. :)

You'll definitely have to deal with mites at some point, so now is great time to start investigating. If the local beek you know is having good success dealing with them, I'd suggest finding out his methods as part of your learning.

contactme_11 · June 24, 2009, 09:53:50 AM

He says they are on small cell comb and he only finds mites when he opens drone cells, none on regular hive inspections. Does this sound normal?

Robo · June 24, 2009, 10:10:40 AM

Sounds OK, but how many mites does he find on drone brood? How many mites when you open 10 cells?

Michael Bush · June 28, 2009, 06:34:03 PM

I've opened a lot of drone cells this year because they like to put them between the boxes on the PermaComb and on the PF120s. So far I've seen one Varroa. I've been through a hundred hives several times...

But, yes, it's normal to find them on drones if you aren't finding a lot of them. If you find several on every drone pupae then you are on the verge of collapse.