Kamon, I am a brand new beekeeper here in Santa Cruz, Ca as of May 2019 and my bees are doing great. I started with a 5 frame NUC and they have grown rapidly into two supers. Recently I used miteaway strips and my bees bearded on the outside of the hive immediately for 3 days and then seemed to swarm... I waited 7 days, opened the hive, and removed the strips. I did not search for the queen at that time because I did not want to stress the bees anymore than they already were and there were so so many dead bees outside of the hive. I felt at that time it would be too much to disturb them more than they already had been. Needless to say I was crushed.. One point to note, is that when I did open the hive to remove the strips, it didn't seem that the bees swarmed due to the sheer quantity of bees still in the hive in both supers. I use eight frame supers and I plan on looking for the queen next week, which will be 3 full weeks from the use of the miteaway strips. I guess my question is, is this normal or did I do something wrong?
The first three days have to be below 85 for a high temp when applying maqs. Isn't it always above 85 in California? The 2nd way to use maqs is to only put one strip on for 10 days and then apply the second strip at that point and remove the old strip at that 10 day interval. The lower level of formic acid may stress the bees less. Sorry about the setback. Hopefully they recover. Give them some syrup and patties.
@@russellkoopman3004 appreciate the feedback. I think the heat was the trigger point. Typically in Santa Cruz we have mild temps, but it definitely was hot that week.... :( The hive is still very strong and I will get back in there to see if the queen is in there and laying eggs. To your point of feeding .. my bees devour syrup. like 16 cups every 2 days and have been for months. I was told when I started this from a 5 frame NUC back in May of this year that I should feed and continuing feeding all the way through winter. Thoughts? The NUC has expanded to two 8 frame supers in a little over 3 months. I have never given them patties but they have packed the frames full of pollen.
@@George-nx5lo question... so after all this I still have a good amount of bee's and now know that my hive did swarm. Today I opened the hive to look for my queen.. the original queen is gone, but there is a "new" queen, yet she is not laying any eggs and there is absolutely no brood. The hive is mostly sugar/honey with some bee bread. Is it simply a matter of time before the hive dies, or will this queen start to lay eggs to rebuild the bee population?
That sticky board was so full of mites. Can you imagine the number of mites is they would have had one more chance to multiply? That hive would have been dead in 6-8 weeks.
I did my first a day ago !! I had honey supers on but intend to use all resources on other hives that need to make weight !! I even planned on down sizing hives that need it to make them stronger!!
Good morning Kamon! I see a trend here. I find that I agree with you way too often, lol. These treatment free suppliers have great bees, with VSH traits, no doubt about it. They've built up resistance through natural selection over the years. Their bees thrive under stress when others wouldn't. But we have to remember that we are not constantly splitting our hives and selling bees like they are. They may split a deep 3 or 4 ways, maybe more! So our mite counts are going to be higher. And once the mite level reaches a certain threshold (it could take up to 3 years with resistant stock), if we don't treat, we are going to loose the hive. It's just a matter of time, it's a numbers game. So you could say that treatment free suppliers manage their mites by constantly splitting their hives and selling them, thereby decreasing their might loads.
Dan Ski's Bees - Love seeing your comments in other venues. I like Kaman’s channel too. He’s just a huge operation compared to my two little hives! LoL!!!
Checked some of my hives with drone frameless foundation couldn’t see any mites on drones or drones Larva or bees no issue whatsoever also no issue with beetles or wing deformation at bees have over 60 hives will treat them with apiguagrd 2 in September and in November with oxalis acid liquid
Usually just treat them with oxalis acid in November once a year if issue with varoa is present trying to requeen that hive or let them be killed by varroa this method payed off no other beekeepers in 7 milles around me what is good thing
Sara Carnicom formic will kill the mess out of the mites but it is very temperature sensitive so if you do use it make sure you look at the weather and plan it out when there is no chance of the temperature getting to hot.
Hey Kamon, see a lot of people using the OA vapor but everybody shows doing it during the day. Why wouldn't you do it at night when 100% of the population is actually in the hive vs fogging when the foragers are out in the fields? Seems like that would give you the BEST coverage and "mite" even be able to drop the last treatment. Just a thought from the peanut gallery. Keep up the great work, learning a lot from you guys.
Very hard working with bees at night lol. You could close up the hive entrance the night before with a piece of window screen and hit them the next morning though before you release them.
@@tommythomason9447 You stick that tool in there at night and bees will freak. No one recommends working with bees at night as far as I know. Bees are so much more defensive in the dark.
@@linr2870 I use hive-top feeders in late fall and early spring, guess when I refill them? Yup, after dark. When I get home from work it's usually dark and the bees have never so much as growled at me. I have even done the zip-loc baggy feeders with slits and installed them after dark as well, again with no issues. I'm usually in and right out so it's not like I'm doing hive inspections. BUT, I've never had an issue with them. Besides, as Kamon is always preaching, experiment! Throughout history more things have been learned by accident than on purpose. One way to find out. It makes too much sense NOT to try it. Thanks Lin R.
@@tommythomason9447 Some people may want to try that, my bees are not docile at all. I don't have the mild ones I have the stronger genetics and would not go in at night but perhaps mild ones would allow it . Good luck!
So if the best time to treat for mites is when there's no capped brood to hide them, would it be a good idea to do an OA treatment on a new box of bees a few days after you put them into the hive?
There are cheaper sources, but you can download the instructions on this page, they tell you exactly what you need to know. mannlakeltd.com/varrox-deluxe-oxalic-acid-vaporizer
I am getting into bees for the second time, picking up a nuc Sat. Do I need to treat them within the first week? I dont have a vaporizer ($), will strips work?
I am in a remote area of Alaska that don't have any other bees but mine. I going to do a mite check and start OA treatments soon. I hope I get every last one of them and be done with them little shits for good.
@@mikeries8549 I lost those hives last winter.,starved out on a long cold Alaskan winter. I have 4 more this year and hope to get these through winter.
Kamon, you've convinced me to go this way. You say you're going to do 5 rounds of treatment. I thought if you did 1 treatment a week for 3 weeks you were covered. Can you tell me why 5 weeks of treatment?
Some say to do that (3 rounds) periodically throughout the season. It likely would work for me if I did 3 sessions of 3 rounds. My concern is I don't trust any info in regards to mites that I can't or haven't verified myself. In my observations OAV only kills great for 4 days. 3 rounds only covers 16 days and the brood cycle of the worker bee is 21 days and the drones (the mites preferred food) cycle at 24 days. Dead mites make me happy and I don't like missing any of them.
There are two treatments for mites that changed. Pro formic acid has an alternative method - apply only one strip for 10 days and then add the second for 10 days. On oxalic acid dribble you apply 20 ml of solution instead of 5 ml but the solution's concentration is reduced so that you are actually only putting on 1/2 as much acid. Whats your thoughts? Great job Kamon. Thanks!!
Kamon love the videos and the shirt of the day . Im in central Florida and have 6 hives and I know you covered this in length but what would you recommend for treatment of mites in hot areas ,bees here fly 365. thanks for all the schooling
Man it is hard in an area like yours. You have alot of splitting and queen rearing potential but your mites grow year round. I would be hitting them Oxalic acid in dribble or OAV in timed splits. Use apivar also if your ok with that. And small doses of apiguard might help also. I treat my bees winter, early summer, and fall. My buddy in Hawaii treats 4 times a year. I know this is all pretty vague but hope it helps.
Maqs are good at killing mites. Ultimately if you do alcohol washes it will remove any doubt if you need more treatment or if you are sufficient with what your working.
@@danskisbees7348 Same to you, just watched a 628DirtRooster Bees clip. I live in N.E Ohio and I watched and subscribed to your channel, you do not sound like your from Kamons neck of the woods.
@@danskisbees7348 I used to live in Corpus Christi while I was stationed there and worked offshore after retiring from the Navy and yes my ex lives in Texas!
@@SuperBuickregal I've actually been fishing off the peer at that Naval base, it was about 30 years ago. Stayed in one of those little houses they rent out. That sounds like George Straight's song, lol.
Kamon, I'm not clear on the time period between treatments for the protocol you are following. Following your approach, in a perfect world, how many hours between treatments? Thanks much for all you do. Jeff
Sure it is nuts, but i figure by the time I sourced them, figure out how to piece it together, order more parts because I missed something and everything else, I could have raised $2000 dollars worth of queens. There are cheaper options but there may be some patent infringements taking place and I can't promote those options until I know for sure
utubedaveg It is so worth it! I totally agreed with you until my family bought me one for Christmas. You can make up the money in extra splits and nucs. It’s a sanity saver
Been there done that. All the VSH queens I have purchased were just garbage or gave me a little more time before the mites got them. Definitely not a cure all solution. Hasn't been since its inception
Question - and i really really hope you answer. I asked this on another video you made but didn’t see a response. :). I know you’re busy- but, should i do treatments now with an OAV but remove my honey super first? Then put it back on? Or wait until fall flow is over and treat then?? Thank you!
Hi Kamon, I was watching a video posted by an Egyptian Beekeeper recommending at the end of the honey season to put garlic on top of the frames so its smell lets Varoa mites to fall on the board and die there. Just wanted to know if anybody tried this traditional way before to judge whether it's trustworthy or not and thank you in advance for your patience.
Goodness I really haven't I a clue. I am very skeptical of everything. Doesn't mean it can't work or help but over the year I have lost bees due to product that didn't live up to the hype. Someone needs to experiment and find out. Maybe one day we can
@@kamonreynolds Thank you Kamon. This is what I been using and one more treatment to go with this one. I use it with my three 10 frames and my nuc's . I bought a small $5 dollar scale so I get to see how much 2 grams are. I will start with api guard 1/2 doses in about 2 weeks. Is this a good idea here in hickory N.C. Thank you and your family for all the input.
His bees are infested with mites unfortunately it’s common for bad genetics and you can see they are calm bees mite resistant bees are way more aggressive to work with its required bee vail and gloves for sure
Kamon, I am a brand new beekeeper here in Santa Cruz, Ca as of May 2019 and my bees are doing great. I started with a 5 frame NUC and they have grown rapidly into two supers. Recently I used miteaway strips and my bees bearded on the outside of the hive immediately for 3 days and then seemed to swarm... I waited 7 days, opened the hive, and removed the strips. I did not search for the queen at that time because I did not want to stress the bees anymore than they already were and there were so so many dead bees outside of the hive. I felt at that time it would be too much to disturb them more than they already had been. Needless to say I was crushed.. One point to note, is that when I did open the hive to remove the strips, it didn't seem that the bees swarmed due to the sheer quantity of bees still in the hive in both supers. I use eight frame supers and I plan on looking for the queen next week, which will be 3 full weeks from the use of the miteaway strips. I guess my question is, is this normal or did I do something wrong?
I have read so many countless stories like this involving the mite away strips, sorry for your loss.
The first three days have to be below 85 for a high temp when applying maqs. Isn't it always above 85 in California?
The 2nd way to use maqs is to only put one strip on for 10 days and then apply the second strip at that point and remove the old strip at that 10 day interval. The lower level of formic acid may stress the bees less. Sorry about the setback. Hopefully they recover. Give them some syrup and patties.
@@russellkoopman3004 appreciate the feedback. I think the heat was the trigger point. Typically in Santa Cruz we have mild temps, but it definitely was hot that week.... :( The hive is still very strong and I will get back in there to see if the queen is in there and laying eggs.
To your point of feeding .. my bees devour syrup. like 16 cups every 2 days and have been for months. I was told when I started this from a 5 frame NUC back in May of this year that I should feed and continuing feeding all the way through winter. Thoughts? The NUC has expanded to two 8 frame supers in a little over 3 months. I have never given them patties but they have packed the frames full of pollen.
@@George-nx5lo question... so after all this I still have a good amount of bee's and now know that my hive did swarm. Today I opened the hive to look for my queen.. the original queen is gone, but there is a "new" queen, yet she is not laying any eggs and there is absolutely no brood. The hive is mostly sugar/honey with some bee bread. Is it simply a matter of time before the hive dies, or will this queen start to lay eggs to rebuild the bee population?
James Spiers Have you tried feeding protein pattie? If they are protein deficient that could be a cause.
That sticky board was so full of mites. Can you imagine the number of mites is they would have had one more chance to multiply? That hive would have been dead in 6-8 weeks.
No kidding!
I use OA with great success. :)
I purchased a Johno's Easy Vap as it's a bit less expensive and honestly not very fancy, but it works.
I did my first a day ago !! I had honey supers on but intend to use all resources on other hives that need to make weight !! I even planned on down sizing hives that need it to make them stronger!!
This is the way to go , great advice Kamon
It's pretty amazing that the colony had survived with that mite load, isn't it?
Thanks Kamon. Appreciate it!
Good morning Kamon! I see a trend here. I find that I agree with you way too often, lol.
These treatment free suppliers have great bees, with VSH traits, no doubt about it. They've built up resistance through natural selection over the years. Their bees thrive under stress when others wouldn't. But we have to remember that we are not constantly splitting our hives and selling bees like they are. They may split a deep 3 or 4 ways, maybe more! So our mite counts are going to be higher. And once the mite level reaches a certain threshold (it could take up to 3 years with resistant stock), if we don't treat, we are going to loose the hive. It's just a matter of time, it's a numbers game. So you could say that treatment free suppliers manage their mites by constantly splitting their hives and selling them, thereby decreasing their might loads.
Dan Ski's Bees - Love seeing your comments in other venues. I like Kaman’s channel too. He’s just a huge operation compared to my two little hives! LoL!!!
Thanks Larry, same here my friend.
Checked some of my hives with drone frameless foundation couldn’t see any mites on drones or drones Larva or bees no issue whatsoever also no issue with beetles or wing deformation at bees have over 60 hives will treat them with apiguagrd 2 in September and in November with oxalis acid liquid
Usually just treat them with oxalis acid in November once a year if issue with varoa is present trying to requeen that hive or let them be killed by varroa this method payed off no other beekeepers in 7 milles around me what is good thing
@@sergepajcin1255 I'm glad that's working for you.
Good info make splits this weekend and will be treating like you recommended. Thanks for sharing .
What a mite drop wow
Great video!
I wish you would give a date or month the video was filmed in for reference. Btw, great job, I really enjoy your videos!
Nice shirt wee man!!!
Waxed supers look fantastic
Yeah they do look pretty sharp. Cypress wood doesn't hurt
Great job with the videos Kamon.
Thanks !!
You amaze me with your knowledge of bees.
great info11!
Why should OA be used when bloodless? And 2 can an OA drip be done with brood, since it's just physical contact?
Would you recommend using Formic Pro strips before or after the fall flow? Alcohol washes looked fine, but they're not super telling.
Sara Carnicom formic will kill the mess out of the mites but it is very temperature sensitive so if you do use it make sure you look at the weather and plan it out when there is no chance of the temperature getting to hot.
So, if you are not going to consume the honey, it would be OK to do an OA treatment with a honey super on the hive, right?
Exactly
@@kamonreynolds Thanks.
Hey Kamon, see a lot of people using the OA vapor but everybody shows doing it during the day. Why wouldn't you do it at night when 100% of the population is actually in the hive vs fogging when the foragers are out in the fields? Seems like that would give you the BEST coverage and "mite" even be able to drop the last treatment. Just a thought from the peanut gallery. Keep up the great work, learning a lot from you guys.
Very hard working with bees at night lol. You could close up the hive entrance the night before with a piece of window screen and hit them the next morning though before you release them.
What work is there to do with the bees? You stick the vap in there and let 'er rip.
@@tommythomason9447 You stick that tool in there at night and bees will freak. No one recommends working with bees at night as far as I know. Bees are so much more defensive in the dark.
@@linr2870 I use hive-top feeders in late fall and early spring, guess when I refill them? Yup, after dark. When I get home from work it's usually dark and the bees have never so much as growled at me. I have even done the zip-loc baggy feeders with slits and installed them after dark as well, again with no issues. I'm usually in and right out so it's not like I'm doing hive inspections. BUT, I've never had an issue with them. Besides, as Kamon is always preaching, experiment! Throughout history more things have been learned by accident than on purpose. One way to find out. It makes too much sense NOT to try it. Thanks Lin R.
@@tommythomason9447 Some people may want to try that, my bees are not docile at all. I don't have the mild ones I have the stronger genetics and would not go in at night but perhaps mild ones would allow it . Good luck!
So if the best time to treat for mites is when there's no capped brood to hide them, would it be a good idea to do an OA treatment on a new box of bees a few days after you put them into the hive?
On a new box I wait till the queen has started laying for 3-5 days. This still gives you full exposure and the eggs and young larvae lock the bees in.
@@kamonreynolds -- Awesome. Just what I needed to hear. Thanks!
Where do you drill the holes for using that unit?
There are cheaper sources, but you can download the instructions on this page, they tell you exactly what you need to know. mannlakeltd.com/varrox-deluxe-oxalic-acid-vaporizer
Back of the pallets or bottom boards. Quarter inch hole
I am getting into bees for the second time, picking up a nuc Sat. Do I need to treat them within the first week? I dont have a vaporizer ($), will strips work?
I am in a remote area of Alaska that don't have any other bees but mine. I going to do a mite check and start OA treatments soon. I hope I get every last one of them and be done with them little shits for good.
That would be cool!
One year later...
Well?
@@mikeries8549 I lost those hives last winter.,starved out on a long cold Alaskan winter. I have 4 more this year and hope to get these through winter.
Do you adjust your oxalic acid for your nucs. They are much smaller than a regular colony.
If they are packed I give them a gram. If they are small they get half a gram
what do you use to power your pro vap in the field
Inverter for my truck battery. Harbor freight has them very inexpensively
is there a certain minimum wattage requirement on inverter.Thanks for your response- I'm also a Tennessee bee keeper
Good idea about timing never thought of it like that
I’ve Been using Johnnos easy Vap. Works great for a fraction of the cost.
HONEYBEE HIGHWAY - where did you get this easy vap?
Larry Lee I demonstrate it on my treating mites video on my channel.
@@LarryLeesBees Here's a video by the guy that makes them. Highly recommend it th-cam.com/video/mjEi9mkwiAM/w-d-xo.html
Where is the link to order?
Lin R you have to email him. That’s the only way
Can you tell us what kind of breathing protection do you use?
I use the mask with the PINK filters. 3M#60923 NIOSH. It works.
Kamon, you've convinced me to go this way. You say you're going to do 5 rounds of treatment. I thought if you did 1 treatment a week for 3 weeks you were covered. Can you tell me why 5 weeks of treatment?
Some say to do that (3 rounds) periodically throughout the season. It likely would work for me if I did 3 sessions of 3 rounds.
My concern is I don't trust any info in regards to mites that I can't or haven't verified myself. In my observations OAV only kills great for 4 days. 3 rounds only covers 16 days and the brood cycle of the worker bee is 21 days and the drones (the mites preferred food) cycle at 24 days. Dead mites make me happy and I don't like missing any of them.
How many grams do you use per treatment?
1 gram per brood box
1 gram is what is recommended. I typically hit them with 50% more since my equipment is not sealed really good.
Buzz buzz, have a good week buddy. Take care.
I just started watching your channel, good information. Thanks
on your board, are the black dots mites? what are the brown crumbs? i am 2 week into keeping bees.
Hey yes those are mites ALOT of them. The crumbs a various bits of hive material, frass, wax flakes, dead bee parts sometimes all kinds of stuff.
What do you use in your smoker?
@Dennis Koyle Pine Straw.
Grass clippings today, pine straw when I can get it.
There are two treatments for mites that changed. Pro formic acid has an alternative method - apply only one strip for 10 days and then add the second for 10 days.
On oxalic acid dribble you apply 20 ml of solution instead of 5 ml but the solution's concentration is reduced so that you are actually only putting on 1/2 as much acid. Whats your thoughts? Great job Kamon. Thanks!!
I like the idea of smaller dosages but since I have no practical experience it is hard for me to say what the effectiveness of the changes would be.
I was wondering could you use oxacillin acid vaporizing in the summertime
Absolutely. Doesn't hurt the brood but it can't kill mites that are in the capped brood either
Kamon love the videos and the shirt of the day . Im in central Florida and have 6 hives and I know you covered this in length but what would you recommend for treatment of mites in hot areas ,bees here fly 365. thanks for all the schooling
Man it is hard in an area like yours. You have alot of splitting and queen rearing potential but your mites grow year round. I would be hitting them Oxalic acid in dribble or OAV in timed splits. Use apivar also if your ok with that. And small doses of apiguard might help also. I treat my bees winter, early summer, and fall. My buddy in Hawaii treats 4 times a year. I know this is all pretty vague but hope it helps.
@@kamonreynolds thanks so much for your time I know is valuable , would mite away QS with OVA be another route I've been using MAQS spring and fall.
@@kamonreynolds thanks so much for your time I know is valuable , would mite away QS with OVA be another route I've been using MAQS spring and fall.
Maqs are good at killing mites. Ultimately if you do alcohol washes it will remove any doubt if you need more treatment or if you are sufficient with what your working.
Will do my 3rd treatment tomorrow, but I only have 2 hives I could imagine the work load with hundreds. Enjoying this video and morning covfefe.
Good morning Thomas!
@@danskisbees7348 Same to you, just watched a 628DirtRooster Bees clip. I live in N.E Ohio and I watched and subscribed to your channel, you do not sound like your from Kamons neck of the woods.
@@SuperBuickregal Lol, thank you, I'm in East Texas. I love how he and Mr. Ed go back and forth.
@@danskisbees7348 I used to live in Corpus Christi while I was stationed there and worked offshore after retiring from the Navy and yes my ex lives in Texas!
@@SuperBuickregal I've actually been fishing off the peer at that Naval base, it was about 30 years ago. Stayed in one of those little houses they rent out. That sounds like George Straight's song, lol.
When did you make those splits
3 days before the video aired so perhaps a week ago?
Kamon Reynolds - Tennessee's Bees thanks was just wondering if it’s to late to do any more splits Im about 3 hours south of y’all
do you have a video showing you using the provap?
Yes we do. it is a little Goofy and I didn't have laurel to hold my camera but here it is th-cam.com/video/4bXqJuOWUhk/w-d-xo.html
Kamon, I'm not clear on the time period between treatments for the protocol you are following. Following your approach, in a perfect world, how many hours between treatments? Thanks much for all you do. Jeff
neary 500 bucks for that thing is nuts. There is about 50 bucks worth of parts in it
Hahahah 500 usd you can have all what you need with oxalis for 60$
Sure it is nuts, but i figure by the time I sourced them, figure out how to piece it together, order more parts because I missed something and everything else, I could have raised $2000 dollars worth of queens. There are cheaper options but there may be some patent infringements taking place and I can't promote those options until I know for sure
utubedaveg It is so worth it! I totally agreed with you until my family bought me one for Christmas. You can make up the money in extra splits and nucs. It’s a sanity saver
Requeen with a vsh queen. You are making the mites more resistant and the bees weaker....High mite count = requeen
Been there done that. All the VSH queens I have purchased were just garbage or gave me a little more time before the mites got them. Definitely not a cure all solution. Hasn't been since its inception
Kamon what is your recipe for pollen patties
I only have about 15 hives and some nucs s and bought the model he has in his hand is the only way to go.
Question - and i really really
hope you answer. I asked this on another video you made but didn’t see a response. :). I know you’re busy- but, should i do treatments now with an OAV but remove my honey super first? Then put it back on? Or wait until fall flow is over and treat then?? Thank you!
Hi Kamon, I was watching a video posted by an Egyptian Beekeeper recommending at the end of the honey season to put garlic on top of the frames so its smell lets Varoa mites to fall on the board and die there. Just wanted to know if anybody tried this traditional way before to judge whether it's trustworthy or not and thank you in advance for your patience.
Goodness I really haven't I a clue. I am very skeptical of everything. Doesn't mean it can't work or help but over the year I have lost bees due to product that didn't live up to the hype. Someone needs to experiment and find out. Maybe one day we can
Is a OA vaporizer wand that is $30 to $80 as effective as the pro110.
sure is. They are not as fast but they still work as effectively on the mites!
@@kamonreynolds
Thank you Kamon.
This is what I been using and one more treatment to go with this one.
I use it with my three 10 frames and my nuc's .
I bought a small $5 dollar scale so I get to see how much 2 grams are.
I will start with api guard 1/2 doses in about 2 weeks. Is this a good idea here in hickory N.C.
Thank you and your family for all the input.
With that high of a Mite count are you afraid of losing the hive?
Very.
His bees are infested with mites unfortunately it’s common for bad genetics and you can see they are calm bees mite resistant bees are way more aggressive to work with its required bee vail and gloves for sure
The bees were from a swarm I caught. I was testing them for mite resistance. Not surprisingly they couldn't handle the mites
You didn't show how to use it. :(
just ordered a Johno's ez vape, Im excited to kill some mites!
Woohoo!
It is a good unit.