>
> >About how many hives per yard?
>
24-30


> >So many yards,,, Is this a strategy
> to spread them out to help with
> the mite pressure?
>

No, is strategy to give them enough forage.

>
> Quote:
> >> Each year, the mite level at selection time each spring,
> after about four brood cycles, gets lower.
>

What I was trying to say that every year my bees appear to have a greater
degree of mite resistance due to breeding, not that mite levels are
dropping due change in the hive.

>
> >I expect that you count mites several times
> per season for the potential breeders.
>

Tried that--took too much time.  I just do one mite assessment for the
breeders, in late March, after about 4 brood cycles in spring.

>
> >It seems, and please correct me if I think
> wrong.  But I would think that the early
> spring count would be the most revealing,
> -more reflective of the level of resistance
> at the colony level rather than later in the
> season counts which are highly influenced
> by colony size, drifting, drone rearing etc.
>

Agreed, which is why I use that count.

>
> > I assess by comparison, and I need to see
> how the colonies I have compare to what
> is out there in the market.
>

I agree that that is a good idea!

>
> >I feel that my colonies should produce larger
> brood patterns and stronger population than
> they are currently.  So comparison should
> reveal what is good and what is lacking.
> I'm considering Glenn queens.
>

Yes, the trade offs for mite resistance.  That is why I am breeding only
from the most productive colonies, but slower to get mite resistance.

Tom Glenn does not sell production queens--only breeders, so wouldn't be a
good test, since any daughters would need to mate with your drones.  You
need to purchase from someone who is selling production queens.

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

             ***********************************************
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

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm