We have been unable to use drugs (we consider Fumagilin a drug) for years in New Zealand so we can export honey to the EU.

Methods to keeps bees healthy:
Over-winter hives full of bees leaving plenty of honey - honey is better than sugar in most instances.

Regularly change brood frames on a 3-year cycle.

Breed queens from your best hives that over-winter well, produce well and are easy to handle.
Don't overstock your apiaries. There's a sweet spot where hives have plenty of pollen around the brood nest and produce lots of honey.  Adding just a few more hives and the production per colony drops
.
Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition: Plant early nectar and pollen sources near your hives - a few willows.

Practice good biosecurity: between hives and between apiaries. Don't exchange frames from a poor hive to a good hive. Spotty brood is an indicator something else apart from the queen could be wrong yet the bees have it under control for the time being.

Work bees in ideal conditions if you can without stressing the bees to much. Roll up your sleeves and if its not too cool on your bare arms and the bees are flying well, you can work the hives. Almost  Impossible if you are a commercial beekeeper but a hobbyist with a few hives in the garden can do this.

 Don't go into the hives unless you have a purpose - ie hive management procedure. Make the intrusion as short as possible. Don't over smoke a hive just a waft over the top to control the bees.

There are probably a lot more beekeepers can add.

Frank Lindsay
Wellington, New Zealand

Autumn is here, leaves are turning yellow and dropping, bees are robbing any exposed honey or weak hive. Wasps (yellow Jackets) are also attacking hives in bush areas. Not sure if the last batch of queen cells will get mated before the temperature drops below 20C during the day.


             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html