Total Brood Removal
Arbeiten am Bienenstand
All the brood is taken from the colony, ideally about two weeks before the nectar flow ends.
All the brood is taken from the colony, ideally about two weeks before the nectar flow ends. What remains is the queen, most of the bees, and a single comb with open brood as a trap comb. As soon as this is capped, it too is removed and melted down.
The point is that afterward all the remaining mites sit on the bees and are exposed. The removed brood is either allowed to hatch out as a combined brood nucleus or, in case of heavy infestation, melted down right away, so that no weakened bees emerge anymore. Treatment only takes place after the honey harvest.
Along the way, the procedure renews the comb and makes a queen change easy. The price is a complete colony inspection and extra equipment. It must not be left too late: the colonies still have to raise winter bees afterward, which is why August is named as the last possible date.