| MCBA
GROUP PURCHASES
One of the advantages to belonging to a local Beekeeping Association is to pool
individual resources and needs and apply a blanket solution. Each spring and fall, the
MCBA does a group equipment purchase. We have several large beekeeping operations in the
association that places several rather large orders yearly. With the group buy, all of
these operations when combined can negotiate a better price. The smaller beekeeping
operations can tack their small quantity needs onto these big orders resulting in savings
for everyone.
FALL ORDER
IWe do not make a spring medication order so be sure and include your
spring needs in your fall order. Click here for a copy of the order form. Try and
pull your needs together and give them Bill Mullins (no email,
phone: 256 828 4836). We would like to finalize the group order
ASAP. You can call Bill now or let him know at the picnic at
the latest or email Bob Fanning at k4vb@knology.net.
Medication is the major item ordered in the fall, however other items will be ordered
if sufficient quantities are required to make it worthwhile. The following is a guideline
to help you determine your medication needs:
Terramycin ……...………. 1 bag will treat
13 colonies the required 3 times each
Apistan …………………... *2 strips
required per colony
Check Mite (Coumaphos). *2 strips required per colony
Menthol ………………….. 1 Bag per colony
Fumidil-B ………………... 1 (0.5 gm.)
bottle will treat 3 hives
*Use either Apistan or Check Mite for Varroa there is no need to use both at the same
time
How to use medication
Do not add any medication (except Crisco, if you use it) to the hive
until all production supers have been removed for the winter.
Terramycin
Terramycin (Oxytetracycline) is a powder that comes in a 6.4 oz. Bag. One bag will
treat approximately 13 colonies, the required three times (or 40 colonies, one time). To
mix, use one package of Terramycin (6.4 oz.) with 2 ½ lb. of confectionery sugar.
Sprinkle this mixture on the top bars of the top most super, three times at 10-day
intervals. Terramycin treats for Foulbrood, both EFB and AFB.
Apistan
Apistan (Fluvalinate) comes in brown plastic looking strips. Place one Apistan strip
between frames 3 and 4 and one between frames 7 and 8 (assuming you use ten frames in the
brood chamber) for a total of 2 strips per colony. The Apistan strips have two
"ears" pre-cut to be broken out. Hang the strips between the frames with the
"ears" bent out to prevent the strips from falling to the bottom board. This is
primarily so you can get them out after treatment and to hold them in the brood cluster.
Apistan is to be applied in the brood chamber where the brood clusters. Apistan treats for
Varroa Mites.
Menthol
Menthol comes if a very porous 50-gm.bag. Place one Bag on the top bars of the top most
super of each colony. Place a queen excluder first, then the menthol bag, then the inner
cover with the deep side down. This allows more air to circulate thus increasing the
efficiency of the treatment. IF YOU TREAT BEES IN THE HOT SUN WITH THE
TEMPERATURE ABOVE 80° F, THE BAG SHOULD BE PLACED ON THE BOTTOM BOARD. Temperature needs to be
above 60° F for effective evaporation of the crystals. Menthol treats for Tracheal Mites.
Fumidil-B
Fumidil-B is a powder that comes in three different size bottles. If you use the 0.5 gm
size bottle, mix it with 6 gallon of high fructose corn syrup (available from Flint River
Queens (256 828 4836) at approximately 22¢ per pound) or sugar syrup. Feed each colony 2
gallons of this mixture in fall. Fumidil-B treats for Nosema, a digestive disease. If you
use larger size bottles, mix per bottle directions.
Formic Acid
Formic Acid is not included the group purchase because no one in the MCBA has enough
experience with it to make recommendations. Use it at your own risk. It is best to use it
in the fall and not to use it in the spring as it is reported to have a negative affect on
queen performance.
Check Mite
CheckMite can be used instead of Apistan for
Varroa Mites and is the only current approved treatment for Small
Hive Beatles. It is also recommended for treating
mites that are resistant to Apistan.
Small Hive Beetles (SHB) arrived in most north
Alabama apiaries in the spring of 2005 in all likely hood brought
here by one Birmingham beekeeper that brought hives known to have
SHB to Limestone County for cotton honey.
The SHB is about 1/8 inch long and look
somewhat like a bowl weevil without the sharp snout and smaller.
They run when exposed to light and are pretty quick. If you find SHB
in your hives the only approved treatment in the hive is Check Mite
(Coumaphos).
To treat for SHB, you will need one Checkmite
strip and 5 x 5 inch piece of cardboard. The
surface should be removed from one side of the cardboard so that the
corrugations are exposed. Pre-cut, plastic 5
x 5 squares are available from Mann Lake Ltd, catalog No. DC-815.
Cut one Check Mite strip in half so that you
have two strips full width - half length. Staple the two
pieces to the corrugated side of a 5 x 5 inch piece of cardboard and
place it in the center of the bottom board, Check Mite side down.
The isles created by the cardboard should run "front to
back" in the hive.
The beetles hide under the cardboard thus
exposing themselves to the CheckMite, which kills them.
Since the SHB lives part of it’s life cycle
in the ground as a larva and part in the hive as a beetle, the
ground under and around your hives will should be treatment with the
chemical "GuardStar".
Mix and apply GuardStar per label
instructions. You can not use a pump up sprayer or
other application methods that produce a "Fog" as
GuardStar contains Permethrin which kills bees on contact.
It is best applied using a sprinkler can like one would use to water
flowers.
Click
here for a good reference source
for instructions on treating for SHB.
Coumaphos
and GuardStar are very strong chemicals. If you use either, follow
the instruction included with it TO
THE LETTER. If handled with the bare
hands CheckMite will cause numbness in you hand or any other area it
contacts.
PROTECTIVE GLOVES SUCH AS DISPOSABLE SURGICAL GLOVES SHOULD BE
WORN WHEN HANDLING ALL CHEMICALS USED IN THE HIVE. PAY ATTENTION TO,
AND FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURER’S INSTRUCTIONS. IF YOU GET LOOSE ITEMS
FROM 100 PIECE BOXES, GET A COPY OF THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE
APPLICATION.
This warning is of particular
importance if you use Check Mite.
Comb honey can not be eaten from hives treated with Check Mite.
If you use Check Mite do not sell or eat the comb honey.
CLICK
HERE FOR MORE NORTH ALABAMA
HIVE MEDICATION INFORMATION
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