October 21

Winterization Must Begin

Dear Bee Team One (your new name),

For all who have been in contact with me and have maintained your inspections, thank you.

Yesterday I was asked to look at Chris Murphy’s bee hives here in Mount Holly.  He had one hive in real trouble with a high mite count.  I went to his house to treat his hives with oxilic acid vaporization using my new equipment.  Because he had just completed his hive  inspections last week,  I was able to take swift action.  Within 30 minutes we had treated all four of his hives.  The vapors released are toxic to both varolla mites and trachea mites (these mites are not visible and inside of the bee’s trachea).  It is also reported that it destroys hive beetles as well.  This treatment is the only treatment currently on the market deemed to be 100% effective and have no effects on the bees whatsoever and has been used as a proven effective treatment in Europe for years.  Research now shows us that the major reason for hive loss comes from these beetles and usually occurs over winter.  I know that at least one in our group has requested I not treat his/her bees as they want to be “all natural”.  I can only tell all of  you that sooner or later your hives will have these deadly pests and NO treatment of any kind  is a death sentence sooner or later. (It may take a year or two, but it will fail)

I plan to treat all of my hives next week.  I would do so sooner, but am busy with a big church BBQ this weekend.

Your winterization must begin now:

  1. Hive Inspection – check your presence of a queen.  You should now have very little brood and a lower bee count.  These are your “winter bees”.
  2. Your feeders should have been removed a month ago.  Be sure you replaced your top screen so there is NO entry or exit allowed.
  3. Insert your hive reducer to smallest setting.  Be sure you install with no lip on bottom.  If you leave lip on bottom they can’t move dead bees out and front will become jammed.
  4. Insert you bottom boards.  Cool weather is now here and this enables them to keep hive warm.
  5. Schedule a time with me to treat your bees with oxilic acid.  I cannot do this until you have done a recent hive inspection.  We must do this treatment early in the morning or late afternoon when all bees are in the hive.
  6. Watch this link on oxilic acid vaporization treatment:

Thank you for your time Bee Team 1.  Now send me a text saying you have read and watched.

G