On Jan. 21, Dave Green of Hemingway, SC wrote:
 
>...This
>winter I have seen quite a few colonies that really packed in goldenrod
honey
>(it is distinguishable by taste and yellow cappings), but now are either
very
>weak or dead.  Some have been robbed out, some not.  Some thoughts:
>
>1.   It is unusual here in SC to see that much goldenrod honey.  Was there
>some mechanism that stopped the brood rearing during the goldenrod flow,
>allowing them to save more than normal (ie plug out), but then go into
winter
>with mostly old bees....
 
 
I have heard reports, as yet only anecdotal, that when Apistan strips are
placed in a hive to control Varroa mites, the queen stops laying while the
strips are in the hive (28-45 days), and resumes when they are removed.
 Fall is a popular time to medicate against Varroa (though we don't know
Dave Green's treatment schedule), after all honey for human consumption has
been removed, with goldenrod honey usually left for winter food.  If the
queen stopped laying because of Apistan treatment, during the goldenrod
flow, the result would be lots of honey but few "winter" bees.
 
Any comments or observations on this theory?
 
 
David Martin, Raleigh, NC, USA