How and when should I treat my young bee colony? I received them in May and treated them with oxalic acid (vaporize) on the second day. When and how often should I carry out the next treatment with oxalic acid? Last year I didn’t do any treatment and had an empty flight in October.
We treat each colony individually, based on what we observe. The best way is to check the bottom buckets for Varroa—especially the ones without a flight hole. Just empty the inlay and have a quick look. We now also offer a debris board to make this easier and faster. If you find more than 10 mites in both, it’s usually time to treat. Otherwise, keep an eye on flight activity and bee mortality. Having a second HIIVE for comparison is also very helpful—it shows you when one colony starts to weaken.
