Honey flow about to start -varroa spotted

Started by Animator, March 28, 2010, 06:48:16 PM

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Animator

March 28, 2010, 06:48:16 PM
Live in South Florida. Checking hives and found lots of little red bugs on hive cover.  Honey is about to start.  Can I wait to treat or should I toss out the idea of honey this year.  Or - should I wait and see. I favor trying to let natural selection take its course but are my hives surely doomed ?  Can I wait to treat varroa ?
Mike. 

harvey

#1
March 28, 2010, 06:51:25 PM
If it is mites, couldn't you do a powdered sugar treatment?  That wouldn't affect your honey harvest would it?

Animator

#2
March 28, 2010, 07:53:26 PM
Recent studies suggest that sugar dusting is not effective.  On some levels I would like to see if they can survive but I think the consensus us that bees don't survive this type of problem. My real worry is this spreadimg to the other hives and a cascade effect.

Is leaving it alone an option ?
 

hardwood

#3
March 28, 2010, 08:00:33 PM
If it were me I'd treat with oxalic acid. It's a little late for much else really, unless you wish to cede this year's honey.

Scott
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Kathyp

#4
March 28, 2010, 08:04:56 PM
little bugs on the cover does not sound like mites.  do you have pictures?
The people the people are the rightful masters of both congresses and courts not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert it.

Abraham  Lincoln
Speech in Kansas, December 1859

doak

#5
March 28, 2010, 08:51:36 PM
Ditto what Kathyp says. never found any Varroa mites on the inside of covers:)doak

Animator

#6
March 28, 2010, 09:16:39 PM
Ok. Pics tomorrow.   I'll be awake then too !

buzzbee

#7
March 28, 2010, 09:33:06 PM
Better chance of small hive beetle.

Animator

#8
March 28, 2010, 10:04:35 PM
Nah.  No way on the SHB
mike

Jahjude

#9
March 29, 2010, 02:55:17 PM
COme on Animator,thk i can speak on the behalf of others when i say that we're patiently awaiting the pictures.
I've chosen understanding over knowledge-since knowledge is all about knowing where to find facts and understanding is knowing how to manipulate knowledge...I've also chosen knowledge over beliefs!! We all need to..

Animator

#10
March 29, 2010, 11:59:07 PM
Bad weather.   Will post as soon as it clears. 

Bee Happy

#11
March 30, 2010, 12:58:18 AM
 :pop:
be happy and make others happy.

Scadsobees

#12
March 30, 2010, 09:06:51 AM
I'm with Kathy and doak...sounds like some kind of red mite or spider mite, not varroa.  I wouldn't describe varroa as a "bug", looks more like a red wax flake.
Rick

AllenF

#13
March 30, 2010, 11:32:04 PM
Red bugs = Chiggers if they were on leaves or pants legs.

Paynesgrey

#14
April 04, 2010, 10:57:19 AM
PennyRoyal plants will repel anything that chews or sucks blood, chiggers, fleas, ticks, if those are a problem where you are working. Works best to crush leaves and rub on skin, or on cuffs, socks etc,  but growing them in area discourages the bloodsuckers too. Pleasant smelling herb that grows like a weed once you get it going.
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