It dropped to around minus three to minus four here last night, with a really sharp frost. Exactly the sort of settled cold snap we hope for going into mid December. I’ve been tracking the pattern for the past week and it’s lining up nicely for a natural brood break.
What we’re ideally looking for is a consistent period of cold weather that’s just long enough to stop the queen from rearing brood, but not so long that it drags on. About three weeks after the start of that cold period is the perfect time to treat, just as the colony reaches a genuine broodless window.
And then comes the second part: we want the warmest possible day without the bees flying. That gives you a super loose cluster, allowing the oxalic acid sublimation to penetrate properly and hit the phoretic mites hard. When it lines up, it’s incredibly effective. When it doesn’t, the results can be mixed. That’s just the reality of working with the weather.
The best advice I can offer is simple: always aim for a late autumn or early winter oxalic acid treatment. It dramatically reduces mite loads, lowers viral pressure and sets your bees up for a healthier, stronger winter.
I’ll keep tracking it closely, but right now it’s looking very promising for a mid December Varroxal treatment during a natural brood break. Fingers crossed the pattern holds.
Black Mountain Honey
It dropped to around minus three to minus four here last night, with a really sharp frost. Exactly the sort of settled cold snap we hope for going into mid December. I’ve been tracking the pattern for the past week and it’s lining up nicely for a natural brood break.
What we’re ideally looking for is a consistent period of cold weather that’s just long enough to stop the queen from rearing brood, but not so long that it drags on. About three weeks after the start of that cold period is the perfect time to treat, just as the colony reaches a genuine broodless window.
And then comes the second part: we want the warmest possible day without the bees flying. That gives you a super loose cluster, allowing the oxalic acid sublimation to penetrate properly and hit the phoretic mites hard. When it lines up, it’s incredibly effective. When it doesn’t, the results can be mixed. That’s just the reality of working with the weather.
The best advice I can offer is simple: always aim for a late autumn or early winter oxalic acid treatment. It dramatically reduces mite loads, lowers viral pressure and sets your bees up for a healthier, stronger winter.
I’ll keep tracking it closely, but right now it’s looking very promising for a mid December Varroxal treatment during a natural brood break. Fingers crossed the pattern holds.
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 15