peak-hives.co.uk » Varroa http://www.peak-hives.co.uk national beehives hand made in the peak district Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:50:36 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Monitoring Varroa http://www.peak-hives.co.uk/peak-hives/monitoring-varroa/670/ http://www.peak-hives.co.uk/peak-hives/monitoring-varroa/670/#comments Sun, 16 May 2010 20:10:45 +0000 admin http://www.peak-hives.co.uk/?p=670 We’ve now got two strong looking colonies of British Black Bee (Apis Mellifera Mellifera) in the Peak Hives Apiary. On inspection the other day with our experienced beekeeping friend Carl we popped off a cap from a drone cell and there looking up at us was a fat and annoyingly healthy Varroa Destructor mite. [...]]]> We’ve now got two strong looking colonies of British Black Bee (Apis Mellifera Mellifera) in the Peak Hives Apiary. On inspection the other day with our experienced beekeeping friend Carl we popped off a cap from a drone cell and there looking up at us was a fat and annoyingly healthy Varroa Destructor mite. Today I decided to start a monitoring process using the slide out trays on our Varroa floors which will be in the hives for the next seven days. When they are removed the mite drop will be counted and action taken if the mite drop is above certain suggested levels (see the Beebase page on Varroa and the very useful Varroa Calculator).

I read somewhere about putting oil onto the paper laid on the slide out trays to make sure the little buggers can’t get away or don’t blow away and in the photo you can see the two trays that went into the hives today at 4pm. On the right is just plain white paper and on the left the paper has been liberally coated with sunflower oil. I did wonder if the smell from the oil might cause fright to the bees. Perhaps someone with better knowledge could comment on that. Anyway in they went and now to wait for the results.

Varroa Mite Monitoring

Varroa Mite Monitoring

]]> http://www.peak-hives.co.uk/peak-hives/monitoring-varroa/670/feed/ 2 National Hive Varroa Floors… http://www.peak-hives.co.uk/peak-hives/national-hive-varroa-floors/414/ http://www.peak-hives.co.uk/peak-hives/national-hive-varroa-floors/414/#comments Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:58:45 +0000 admin http://www.peak-hives.co.uk/?p=414 Phew.  Now that the worst of the big freeze appears to be over I can start working away in the workshop again…Next winter I’ll have dry lined it with kingspan insulation (if the temp goes below 5 deg C then glues don’t set which as things stand pretty much closes the workshop down!!!).  Apart from [...]]]> Phew.  Now that the worst of the big freeze appears to be over I can start working away in the workshop again…Next winter I’ll have dry lined it with kingspan insulation (if the temp goes below 5 deg C then glues don’t set which as things stand pretty much closes the workshop down!!!).  Apart from the difficulties that the extreme weather has caused work wise it’s been hard enough just keeping warm at home…Managed thanks to the Husqvarna and a beautiful Jotul 602N.  Best thing my Dad ever bought!!!

Any road up…here’s a couple of Open Mesh Floors…One for a full size British National Hive and one for a National Nucleus Hive…One in Cedar and the other in Red Deal…

I do find the Nuc one cute…there again I need to get out more…

British National Open Mesh Floor with Slide out Tray

British National Open Mesh Floor with Slide out Tray

British National Nucleus Open Mesh Floor

British National Nucleus Open Mesh Floor

Btw,  the jury’s still out for me on the OMF versus Standard Floor…

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