Just a comment about Formic acid. I've not used oxalic acid on my hives but strictly formic acid. I always like the idea of killing mites within sealed brood and the use of this acid when honey supers are on. You do have to be aware of the warnings on the label about the adverse queen effects of formic. Last year one of my hives went queenless post formic acid treatment and it was difficult to obtain a queen very late in the season. There is also the comment of decreased fertility of queens post formic acid treatments.
Below is a quick snapshot of sticky board results during formic acid treatments in 2022.
Hive #1 Purchased nuc which went queenless sometime around June 1.
Date Event # mites @72hrs mite drop/day 6/11/22 Sticky board 10 3.3 7/8/22 Sticky board 3 3.0 Notice the effectiveness of interrupted brood on the control of mites. Not good for the hive, but very effective in keeping mite numbers down. This hive was not treated since January 2022.
Hive #2 Event # mites @72hrs mite drop/day 6/11/22 Sticky board 45 15.0 6/14/22 Rx Formic acid 6/17/22 Sticky board 74 24.7 7/8/22 Sticky board 82 27.3 This hive received a split on 5/4 of this year with brood and a laying queen. Obviously, the mites were transferred from the original hive within brood cells and had plenty of mite drops on the June test. After only 24 days post formic treatment, this hive is still showing plenty of mite drop. From past experiences, I felt the mite drop during formic treatment was low as previous experience with formic treatment, I've had mite drops in the 300-350 range for 72hrs. Perhaps the environmental temps during treatment in June of 2022 was sub-optimal and affected the effectiveness of the acid. With this kind of result, I'm going to try some oxalic acid dribbling on this problem hive to see how that would compare.
The bottom line with formic acid; always check its performance pre and post Rx and keep a close look at your queen's presence and egg laying!!
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I hope the board was covered with mites. I know several people who are treating now. I plan on our putting formic pro on our club hives at Saturday's meeting after we do an alcohol wash.
A word from Carolyn Breece... The queen often stops laying when the formic pro pads are on. She sometimes doesn't start back laying for "a long time" afterwards. I've had her not start laying for a week after I took them off but maybe it could be longer. So don't assume you are queenless.
Remember that you should have bottom boards in when the treatment is in but leave the front opening completely open. It needs air circulation. And, of course, they go between the two brood boxes. Follow the directions.
I don't have permission to share the name of the beekeeper, but wanted to share the experience she had.
She treated her hive with Formic Pro for the prescribe 14 days and when she pulled out her white board post treatment she found this poor girl with at least 7 mites on her. There were no dead mites on the board itself. This is very strange.
Yikes.