Location of winter cluster

[Kris^]

But why don't you use trickling? It is just suitable when bees are in winterball. It is really easy.
http://beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=3761

My original thinking was to do just that.  But I already wrapped the hives all up in black paper before spotting my first (dead) mites of the season.   :(   So the only way I can get anything in them now is through a copper tube in the entrance.

-- Kris

[Michael Bush]

>Can anyone tell how many teaspoons is 1.5 grams?

Mine is made of brass pipe and the cap is pretty close to that.


>Michaele does not know the sytem and don't listen to him in this matter

Finsky is correct.  I have not trickled oxalic acid.  I have seen wet cold bees though.  The people I know who have are what I base this on, but I have vaporized and it's easy and effective.  Just be sure you light the smoker so you can tell which way the wind is drifting and stand up wind.  You do NOT want to inhale any.  It will give you a coughing fit.

[Finsky]

I have seen wet cold bees though.

1) It is not water. It is thick syrup. Bee lick it very soon away.
2) It is not cold. It is hand warm. You open the ceiling and you put it back after 30 seconds.
3) Researcher have followed what happens in the hive . There are any dead bees eithet in or on snow and colony is alive next spring.
4) Queen are not violated

It is not known in what way cure affects, but it affects.

[manowar422]

This evening I notice that a couple hives had dragged out their dead and dying onto the landing boards, so I scaped up about 2 dozen and brought them inside to look at under a magnifying glass. I dumped the bees and debis on a sheet of white paper and looked -- and found three dead mites.

Kris,
It seems your bees are taking care of the few mites you have,
it sounds to me like good hygienic behaviour. It's nice to know
that your bees are doing this.

Do you really think you need to treat with chemicals at this point?

I don't have an opinion (I'm mite ignorant)
I'm just making an observation and asking a question :)

[Finsky]

This evening I notice that a couple hives had dragged out their dead and dying onto the landing boards, so I scaped up about 2 dozen and brought them inside to look at under a magnifying glass.  I dumped the bees and debis on a sheet of white paper and looked -- and found three dead mites.

If I were you I should give a cure to mites. I think that It is better way to kill 100 than 1000 mites. Many makes his calculations how many mites they have. I just put cure and that is enough to me.

Oxalic acid is so sheap that it no use to avoid medication. Apistan was really expensive. I just bought a bottle of  oxalic acid 100 g. It is enough for 50 hives. The cost is 10$.

[Kris^]

Well, I'm a worrier when it comes to my bees.  I entice them to stay in a box and steal their honey and feel I need to take care for the good health of the colony.  So if I have any indication of problems, I want to take care of it.  I know it's not the same as with a single head of livestock, like a cow, but there aren't any bees veterinarians, either.  So I worry and do stuff.

By the third hive, I finally got the hang of vaporing the hives without upsetting the bees too much.  I wonder, though, how this stuff that can be deadly to mites (and humans) is harmless to bees.

By the way, I paid $7.39 with tax for a 342 gram can of oxalic, enough to do over 170 treatments.  Less than 5 cents a hive.  Sure beats the cost of Apistan, if it works!

-- Kris