Flow Hive - How to Treat Varroa with MAQS - Day 119 (Part 2)

UPDATE!!! - Watch to the end to see what happens on Day 1 of the MAQS treatment!

How to use Mite Away Quick Strips (MAQS) to treat for Varroa.

Ventilation, temperature, and safety tips when using MAQS.

[hebquad]

Ditto. We've been considering getting into beekeeping next year and have found your video series to be incredibly valuable....I gotta say that watching you carefully and honestly evaluate all of your options is fantastic...Great Job!!!

[HunterAlakai]

I really appreciate all of your humbleness when making your decisions. You ask the community and seem genuinely appreciative of the response you get.

[justink]

Just want to say, I have been in commercial pest management for close to 20 years. Every year I refer on average five customers to call a bee keeper to come get swarmer bees. We refuse to kill any bees unless it has become a health hazard for a hospital etc. I have been considering getting into bee keeping. I love your videos. Also you are correct when you say the strips will not get into the honey. Those strips work like a mild fumigation. So there none residual. Keep up theses videos!!! Your allowing me to learn with you. Thanks!!!

[TheOriginalCheezWiz]

I have to reiterate what others are saying, thank you for sharing the adventure with us. I will be starting my first hive in the spring and thanks to folks like you, I feel that I will be much better prepared for what lies ahead. -Stephen in TN.

[dragonrulr]

I know some people are giving you grief about treating, but you are doing what you have researched and asked about to keep your bees safe. in a way, your bees are like a pet, and sometimes pets get sick and will be okay, but sometimes they need help. Its better to treat and make sure your bees will get better than it is to roll around in the spring to a dead hive. I cant wait to see how it goes for you!

[suzanneknibb]

I love how you research and make such considered decisions about your bees. Im lucky we don't have verroa here (yet). To see your decision making about your hive as an amateur beek, helps other amateur beeks immensely, cheers

[tjinnes]

We have 2 hives here in Springfield in Canterbury, New Zealand. We just did our first treatment with Mita Away Quick Strips 2 days ago. Our thinking seems to be the same as yours on this. We would rather not treat but we want live bees. Formic acid seems to be the most "organic" option. So far the bees seem OK with the treatment. We have had a pretty good mite drop on the sticky boards.

All the best with your bee keeping venture.

[silasderoma]

Once again, thank you for a well thought out, instructive video. Very helpful.

[thatguy]

It does make any sense to put the quick strips in the bottom box because vino said it was denser then air so it go to the bottom of the box and then the bees would push it outside. That means that the second box would get any treatment!

[ToenIII]

Having no experience with beekeeping at all, I think you have made the right decision. This is not only about the bees afterall, it is also about you having a good experience with beekeeping in general. So minimizing the risk of loosing your only hive is the best option I think. Being stressed out about your bees all winter would not have been worth it either way.

[joemalpass]

Very thorough explanation, another great video. I'm so happy to see it's already working!

[willycastillosalvatierra]

Great series of videos, and good luck with the varroa treatment.

I'm really happy every day you upload a new video because its learning time XD.

[EvilSlth]

although i dont think you had enough varroa to really do anything to your hive, my opinion doesnt mean much 6 months later. but heres a thought for prevention. i cant verify this, but try planting mint around your hive. even hang a bit inside from time to time. something about mint messes with the mite and they either avoid it or it keeps them from reproducing.

[SpencerBrennan]

Good call man! Nice job factoring in your specific site characteristics with the treatment details. & great zoom on the dead mite!!

Ever thought of a nickname for your bees or your hive??

[ryanmccuan]

Make sure to throw away the hive trash, not just on the ground. It can attract ants and beetles. Thank you for showing the process, I'm a novice beekeeper, and all of a sudden varroa* It was perfectly clean all year, then one inspection its sudden a problem! OMG it infests fast. I'll be treating with MAQ soon.

[justinmoore]

Dude I really love how much you love ur bees lol

[gregmathews]

Hi - Can i say just watched all your vids on this over the last day or two and great job there - no doubt yu have saved me from similar mistakes and do like yu style - cheers and best

[kirstenredlich]

You should clean the bottom board each time you inspect, if you ever do get SHB all that 'rubbish' on the bottom, wax, pollen, dead bees, etc. is what they love....

[briandodds]

I have been watching all your playlist in order.  Nice job!  :)   Myself and a friend are thinking about starting beekeeping if our city approves it next month.  We live in a very urban area, so I suspect we will have different challenges. (No bears here, just raccoons and opossums)   I would like to see the back of the hive more often. For example in this video we see the front vent cover but what are the bees doing in the back?   It would also be interesting to see where that rear board goes in the bottom.

[smurfypoo]

I'd be really worried about the Queen right now having to much room to move about but I don't know if that's a thing or not.I really enjoy your vids and watching you makes me want to get a hive myself.