Paradis Apiaries FSJ
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Honeybee apiary in the North Peace Region at Fort St John, BC. #honey #wax #pollen #bees #honeybees
The number 1 killer of honeybee colonies is a devastating parasite of the bee broodnest: Varroa Destructor Mite.
In the Fall the varroa population in the hive balloons. This parasite can easily overwhelm a colony and result in a complete loss in a very short period of merely a couple of weeks.
Left untreated; A strong hive goes to nothing by Thanks Giving.
Left too long before treating for mites; A colony that has been “injured” by a high varroa mite load and the virus’ that it carries is usually dead by Christmas and rarely lasts past mid February.
There are various tools and regulator approved treatments to control this parasite. None of them are easy and none of them are entirely effective. All are high effort with partial results. It is a very VERY difficult balancing act. How do you kill a flea on a bee without killing the bee??!! That is the challenge that apiculture researcher and every beekeeper has been trying to solve.
One method that I prefer to use in the Fall is to fumigate the colony with a vapour created from heating oxalic acid crystals. (OAV). The OAV “smoke” is injected through the entrance and left to fill the cavity of the hive. As it cools the OAV condenses forming microscopic crystals on surfaces inside the hive and on the bodies of the bees. The feet and mandibles of the varroa mite are sensitive to this acid which causes them to detach.
The bees are mostly unbothered by the oxalic acid as it is a naturally occurring (organic) ingredient of many of the plants and flowers which the bees forage on and make honey from. Yes, that means oxalic acid is a natural ingredient in nectar and honey, and a natural “organic” treatment to use against the mites.
Bees regularly groom themselves and each other. The injected OAV crystals condense on the hairs and bodies of the bees. The bee in this video is white with OAV crystals. You can see her grooming. As they groom they wipe the OAV off of themselves and with it the mites also get removed.
Each mite control method has its pros and cons. OAV is very effective at removing varroa destructor mites. 100% removal when done correctly. However! - the OAV regimen does require a commitment to a strict schedule of multiple visits and applications to the hive to catch mites between egg through brood capping. The timeline must extend over the span of an entire brood cycle of 21-24 days. Once you start OAV you are committed to a 5 day interval for 3.5 weeks. OAV is NOT a one and done treatment. And, if you miss a 5 day slot in the middle - you have to reset the calendar and start over.
Fellow beekeepers … what do you do to knock down the mites and protect that crucial winter bees brood being raised right now?
09/19/2026
Honeycombs BeesWax. Aromatic of the natural honey and pollens.
Single rendered, coarse strained, not filtered. Will have a thin layer of propolis on bottoms of the blocks. If you want it fine filtered you would simply melt and pour through a thin cotton sheet (old tshirt) or triple layered nylon.
1.80 $/100g . Available by the block only, no partials. Blocks are random at 2 kg to 3.5 kg each. Msg if you want some.
09/16/2026
A good poster to share. 👍
09/03/2026
They are loving the late season nectar flows to top off their honey storage levels for winter. Crossing fingers for another couple weeks of reasonably warm weather before the frost and snows move in.
We are rolling the dice by leaving some extra boxes on this late. There is a slim chance though it is doubtful that there will be much "extra" honey left over for us to take.
Hopefully everyone paying attention knows that honey is a "get it while you can!" thing - and so also hoping that everyone has already stocked up on their full year of supply needed to get through to July 2027. Apologies to any late comers ... at this point in time I have very little to no honey stock on hand. It is pretty much all long gone.
Ask me in October if there was any late honey leftover that the bees didn't need for winter.
08/31/2026
Question to the master beekeeper.
“ How do I inspect a hive like this to ensure that the bees are healthy, that the queen is ok, and they are ready for Fall/Winter? “
The Answer
“ You don’t. The hive is clearly showing and telling you everything you need to know. Wish them luck and plan to go see her at April 2027 “
A much more pressing question of the hour: …. “ Demmit again, where did that hivetool go!? “
08/11/2026
Our fingertips work hard in the beezinuss and keeping things clean of stickiness is constant task around the equipment.
If you are ever challenged with a cracked or knicked finger (or three) and the bandaids just don’t stay in place from all that gripping or wiping, just take them for a dip in your wax melter. Instantly waterproof and lasts all day!
Like and follow for more beeman tips and tricks 😉.
08/06/2026
Impossible to explain or understand without experiencing this first hand …. There is a calming of the beekeeper when walking into and standing in the middle of a beeyard of powerful colonies that are hard at work. Sort of like white noise, but not really as it is a fairly loud hummzmzmzmzmzm. The air is full of energy! 😊
08/05/2026
Rolling in and slugging through the grunt work of August. Tough times, BUT Happy times.
All mobile equipment in this operation is ArmStrong brand. So the days ahead are good workout days. Today an especially good arm day. (The beekeeper has no need for a gym, LoL)
08/01/2026
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Field update:
🌻 Sunflowers are growing good despite being seeded later than usual. We are on track to be opening in the middle of August. We hope to announce dates soon.
🌻 Can’t wait to welcome you back to our farm!
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