Sounds good to me!: joy:
I think it must mean that depending when you treat it gives you what to use when
Good point! And Right On about the MRSA. Lol!
Apivar does not build up in the comb, you get resistance because the 0.4% of mites that survive the treatment will reproduce and pass on the resistance to their offspring. Itās hard to pass it to your offspring when you have a 99.6% kill rate, but theoretically itās possible.
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If you have a high mite burden, you treat once in spring, and once in fall. Five times is excessive.
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I am using āSuper DFM - HoneyBeeā from Strong Microbials Inc. Probiotics appealed to me rather than harsh chemicals. I just finished my fall treatment and very very happy to see āzeroā mite drop after leaving the white board in for 3 days.
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Does that mean that you have no mites or the ātreatmentā doesnāt work?
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Iām going on the belief it works. I saw a few mites earlier this year during monthly powder sugar only dustings (May, Jun, Jul), so I would say I had them. Not many, but research lead me to believe varroa mites would get out of hand sooner or later without some type of intervention. So, I purchased ApiLifeVar expecting the worst, but the precautionary hazards statements, user safety recommendations, environmental hazards and physical and chemical hazards intimidated me into not using. Then I came across the video I attached. I gave them their first Super DFM dusting mid August, however I forgot to insert the white board, so I have no comparison. I probably didnāt need to do this Oct Super DFM dusting, but I wanted healthy guts going into winter. Should I be doing a sugar roll for a better mite count, or is the white board enough?
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I would sugar roll but then I do treat for varroa with sublimated oxalic acid. If you donāt plan on treating then there is no point in measuring mite load. If you have lots of colonies then losing a fair few is neither here nor there but if you have just one or two?
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I havenāt watched the video in its entirety yet had to run out and will not be able to watch it until probably Sunday.
My question to you is a website to go to? Iām using only essential oils right now and have got a couple of recipes which seem to be working quite well. No hive beetles and low mite count is always a good thing. May be the exact same treatment Iām doing, just wanted to read more thank you for posting
As regards to your post on chemical hazards and user recommendation and environmental hazard for any of the standard applications that are used I totally agree and you wrote it well
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Website: www.strongmicrobials.com/
Youtube: search "strong microbials bees"
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strongmicrobials/
I watched the video again several times last night and this morning to refresh. I must have misinturpreted the mite section which is at the end of the video. He periodically treats with Amitraz (ApiVar strips), which I didnāt pickup on before.
Thinking I better perform a sugar roll to ease my mind and ensure I am getting an accurate mite count.
If I do end up needing to treat for mites, I am thinking essential oils would be my preferred choice. I would be grateful for recipes.
Even though video states: Essential oils are anti microbial by nature, which could impact the Super DFM - Honeybee microbial treatments.
Well thymol is an essential oil and masses of beekeepers use Apilife~Var and Apiguard but if you want to be more esoteric look here http://scientificbeekeeping.com/ipm-7-the-arsenal-natural-treatments-part-2/
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People, I saw my first eviction of a newly emerged bee with deformed wings. At first I thought it was another drone being booted, then I could see it was a worker when I got closer- so I thought it must be a robber. Then I put my glasses on & really looked, how sad 
The poor thing had missing leg parts too, whether from the virus or the struggle I donāt knowā¦
Anyway, my first of 3 vapes, 6 days apart will begin tomorrow!
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Donāt forget to put your board in to measure the drop. I find the biggest drop is after the second Tx.
good luck
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Just did the first of 3 oxalic acid vapor treatments- a big thanks to @Dee @Dawn_SD @Valli and @Bobby_Thanepohn for guidance:
Itās really a piece of cake to do.
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Thank you for the link. It was a very good read, educational and much appreciated.
Had no retained knowledge about Thymol until now. Looked at the āPro Healthā feeding stimulant I use and found Thymol is an ingredient. Thankful I am not finding varroa at this time, but know that could all change. Will continue powdered sugar dustings come spring (April). Have 10 packets of Apilife~Var on hand, if absolutely necessary.
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I found a video on YouTube and made my own Vape heating device for about $20 and so far it has worked really well. It is made with a beverage heater and a brass cap I bought it Loweās for about $0.20ā¦ play the video attached the beverage heater to a marshmallow roasting fork I already had. My bottom boards have a built-in aluminum tray for oil and a screen board above that so the device fits in there really well when I remove the tray, sitting on the bottom board just under the screen. I catch them early in the morning and close up the front entrance and vape them from the back.
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Iām not seeing the link to your video.
Go to YouTube and type in Homemade Oxalic Acid Vaporizer. Michael cifranic
I donāt expect this to last more than a year or to. These heaters typically dontā¦but by then I can afford one.
Thank you for this video. We are new beekeepers and depend on resources like this for our bees