laurence edwardsOwner at Black Mountain Honey

Effective Winter Treatments for Healthy Bee Colonies

25 Sept 2024 · 0 min

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0:22

In this segment of the video, the beekeeper explains his winter varroa mite management strategy, emphasizing the use of Apivar strips as a low‑temperature‑compatible treatment. He notes that he applies the strips after harvesting honey and, unlike some beekeepers, leaves them on a bit later in the season. He cites his own experience: strips were removed in mid‑ to late‑November, and all his colonies survived the winter with very low varroa counts throughout the season, indicating the method’s effectiveness.

Perfect time to get your treatments on though, once you've got your honey off. What are you using this year? This winter we're using Apivar strips, really easy, quite good at low temperatures, so I've probably left it a little bit later than some beekeepers, but I don't need to worry about that. Last year we pulled them out mid-November, end of November, and all colonies pulled through the winter. Had really low varroa levels throughout this season.