Hello Bob,

…wouldn't
>just installing some Russian bees in large cell hives be easier?

I tried Russians.  And on the system I use with no treatments for varroa, 
the mite population soared in these bees same as any other strain, and 
ending in crashing.  Russians in my area tend to swarm several times a 
season, and shutdown in the summer clogging the broodnest, and lacking a 
pre flow buildup can put a hurt on fall surplus.  For my area, I need a 
bee that doesn’t do the things mentioned above.  They may work fine in 
other locations having one strong single flow, but they were not suited 
for my location, queens tending to shut down everytime a cloud passed over.

Joe writes:
>> But what I have found was
>that being on small cell allowed me to drop all the treatments.

Bob writes:
> In my opinion this is the part which causes you and Dee problems. You 
both
>surely can see how complicated beekeeping problems are today.
>varroa,tracheal mites,Virus, nosema ceranae, chalkbrood,EFB & AFB.  Those 
of
>us which keep bees for a living fight the above all the time. 


What, you mean to say that there are NO methods in place to deal with the 
above problems without using treatments?

This is where you make the mistake of others and assume more than I am 
saying.  Small cell, collecting ferals and breeding are key for my 
dropping treatments. But diseases, when they occasionally occur are 
handled by using NON chemical methods.  My queen permit has a statement of 
my opperation:  "All colonies were successfully maintaining low levels of 
varroa mites through the use of cultural controls".  

Why then, should these claims of dropping treatments cause me problems 
with you, and not the Pa State Apiarist who inspected all my colonies?  

Usually when
>something sounds to good to be true I have sound my gut feelings were
>correct.

I assume here that you believe it is "impossible" to keep bees alive 
without using treatments?  

Best Wishes,

Joe Waggle
Derry, PA
“Bees Gone Wild Apiaries”
FeralBeeProject.com
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HistoricalHoneybeeArticles

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