>
> > If your correct Randy,  and the higher numbers are "okay" that flies in
> opposition to the numbers From Germany.  Is it possible that the higher
> numbers are not a problem with high summer turnover,  but a big problem for
> winter bees?
>

That's exactly my guess.

>A question Randy if I have 3000 and up as a commercial operation would
testing every hive visible to identify the high level ones to treat?

I'm not sure if I understand your question Medhat, but I'll give it a
shot.  This is exactly what we are doing in a number of test yards this
season.  Taking washes from every hive is a tedious pain in the butt.  But
paying $4 per hive for unnecessary treatment is a pain the the wallet.

It takes three of us well less than two minutes per hive to get counts.  So
figure a total of 5 man minutes per count.  At $30/hour, that's 50 cents
per man minute.  So 5 man minutes costs the operation $2.50.  If your labor
costs less than $30/hr, then it is even more cost effective.

Of course, if you are using an off-label treatment that costs less than
$2.50, then washing every hive wouldn't be cost effective.  What we're
experimenting with is giving a half dose to the low-count hives, and a full
dose to the high-count hives.

We currently don't have enough manpower to sample all the hives in the
operation, but working the numbers for cost-benefit analysis suggests that
identifying the high-count hives early in the season may be of benefit in
overall varroa management in a large operation.


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

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