NZBF: Wingless bees

[Wknz]

In one of my locations I put Apivar in and 4-5 weeks on wingless bees.. The wingless ones are munted wings, not missing as if they had been attacked. I'm assuming a deformed wing disease not robbing.

I'm told one way forward is to promote breeding and see if that will help outstrip the mites / disease.

I assume this is by feeding. What's the best feed / sugar ratio for this?

The hive has two 8 frame boxes with 7 or 8 frames if honey already.

 

[Mummzie]

Your description matches DWV.
To out breed the mites, you would have to be giving a stimulation feed of 1:1- and this is normally done in spring. To feed a thin syrup at this time of the year, when bees are naturally reducing brood rearing and are storing food, increases the moisture content in the hive due to evaporation.
The virus remains in the hive after the varoa load has been reduced.
Have you done an alcohol wash to establish your varroa load? Distasteful though it is- a properly done wash of the bees is the only way to get a full assessment of your varroa load.

 

[Alastair]

If the hive is still alive 4-5 weeks after you placed the strips (provided they were placed properly ie middle of the brood), the hive will be starting to turn around and will make it.

I have found Apivar gets the job done, but slowly. A few times when treating hives with wingless bees I have found at the end of the treatment period there are still wingless bees, so have replaced the strips with new ones and left them for a whole repeat treatment period, this has got the job done.

 

[Wknz]

Your description matches DWV.
To out breed the mites, you would have to be giving a stimulation feed of 1:1- and this is normally done in spring. To feed a thin syrup at this time of the year, when bees are naturally reducing brood rearing and are storing food, increases the moisture content in the hive due to evaporation.
The virus remains in the hive after the varoa load has been reduced.
Have you done an alcohol wash to establish your varroa load? Distasteful though it is- a properly done wash of the bees is the only way to get a full assessment of your varroa load.

I'm planning to assess on Sunday arvo. I've resisted the temptation to crack the hive too often to let them seal it for winter but need to get a good read on this.

I'll get a shake or wash done.

I'll hold off the feeding . Thanks for the advice

Thanks

 

[Wknz]

If the hive is still alive 4-5 weeks after you placed the strips (provided they were placed properly ie middle of the brood), the hive will be starting to turn around and will make it.

I have found Apivar gets the job done, but slowly. A few times when treating hives with wingless bees I have found at the end of the treatment period there are still wingless bees, so have replaced the strips with new ones and left them for a whole repeat treatment period, this has got the job done.

Would you replace apivar with baverol for a second treatment ? To remove risk of resistence or is your recommendation repeat the apivar?

The strips are in between the two middle frames and the next two frames so central in the box and slightly forward to be closer to entrance. Eg between frames 4and 5 and 6 and 7.

 

[tommy dave]

The strips are in between the two middle frames and the next two frames so central in the box and slightly forward to be closer to entrance. Eg between frames 4and 5 and 6 and 7.

You should place strips on the basis of where the brood is, rather than nominating frame positions in a box.

Open it up, make sure the strips are in contact with as much brood as possible, move them to attain this if necessary

 

[Alastair]

Would you replace apivar with baverol for a second treatment ? To remove risk of resistence or is your recommendation repeat the apivar?

Good question Wknz I don't think I'm qualified to make a recommendation on that. Doing a course of treatment straight after the other is unorthodox anyway, but was needed in that situation. As it happened I repeated with a second Apivar treatment just because I had Apivar in stock, wether that was the best plan from a resistance point of view I don't know.

The strips are in between the two middle frames and the next two frames so central in the box and slightly forward to be closer to entrance. Eg between frames 4and 5 and 6 and 7.

Sounds good, but what's important is where the brood is. So for example if the brood in a 10 frame box was over to one side, say, frames 3, 4, and 5 had brood, you would not place the 2 strips middle of the box, you would place one strip between frames 3 and 4, and the other strip between frames 4 and 5, IE, middle of the brood.

Some beekeepers may do that differently plus they may consider if they feel the brood nest may move during the treatment period. But me, I put the strips mid brood, because every mite in the hive regardless where in the hive they are, will gravitate to the brood so they can reproduce. So that is the best killing area.