So, I decided that I should see how much of a Varroa problem I have. I placed a oiled A4 sheet beneath the Genesis hive for 24 hours and then counted the number of mites on the sheet. I counted 5 and figure that my A4 sheet represents about 50% of the floor area. That gives me a count of 10 mites in 24 hours which according to various Internet sources is a low infestation rate. I chose to use an organic treatment called Api Life Var that contains Thymol, Eucalyptus and menthol oils. I placed a quarter of the pad in each corner on top of the frame bars and left it for a week. The instructions say repeat again but I didn't. They also say it works better in warm weather so I probably should have done it earlier but temp has been 16-17C this week.
I have wrapped some small mesh chicken wire around the hive to keep the woodpeckers off.
Paul, my mentor, says I should have stopped inspecting a few weeks ago and that beginners like me should start with 2 hives - 1 to play with and 1 to do properly!
Just had surgery on my shoulder so good timing there as I should not need to check inside the hive again until March.
Showing posts with label Varroa winter woodpecker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Varroa winter woodpecker. Show all posts
Friday, 12 November 2010
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