At 09:44 AM 2/10/98 -0500, you wrote:
 
>Varroa Resistance to Fluvalinate in Florida:
 
Hi Bee Friends,
 
Several important details are missing in these reports as reviewed here.
One, which of the Varroa mites are they working with? Asian, or European?
It would be nice to know of the other environmental conditions in the
different bee yards tested. There is a world of difference between rearing
insect's and bees in Florida and Arizona because of environmental
differences. My guess would be that a good extra heavy smoking of bees in
Arizona would have a much grater effect on the vampire mites in Arizona and
little effect on the same mites in Florida because of these differences.
 
Also some reliable sources report that those who are lucky enough to have
some of the original strips are not having the problem in controlling mites
in Florida which would indicate some product or application change??
 
The last time I checked strips with other chemicals that do work on varroa
were still available for use on other domestic and farm animals other then
bees. (not registered or permitted for honeybees}  I do not know of anyone
using them because I do not know anyone having a problem with Varroa in
this area and all seem to be satisfied with using and re-using their foofoo
strips.
 
And yes tens of thousands of hives that have been in Florida and Texas are
right now being placed in the Almond Orchards in California. When all,
maybe 800-900,000 hives are in place if you could line them up down the
freeway back to front there would be no reason to have a white line between
Bakersfield and Mt. Shasta in northern California. This action by a few
hundred beekeepers in moving bees into a relitive small area is one of the
wonders of the world of agriculture and the greatest consternation of
honeybees anyplace in the world. Its all mind bogging when you think it all
happens without any government direction and little government interference
because of the billion dollar $$US value of the crop to California
agriculture. These bee hives could be carrying the black plague and no one
in government would interfere with the movement. (Maybe they would burn em
all later after the almonds were finished blooming.<B>)
 
 
For sure if one of those hives would pass wind it would not take long for
the total to know about it and this is what Bailey and others were warning
us about many years ago, too many bees in one area is a prescription for
disaster. The same for one of those TEX-MEX drones with presidential
aspirations could impregnate one of or very desirable California virgins in
the shade of some almond tree and no one would be the wiser until some
zealous bee cop did a DNA test on the little son's of bee's.
 
Back to the real world, California is in the greenest green season ever
experienced up to this date by the beekeepers now in the field. Because of
the wet ground conditions beekeepers are spending much time pulling their
trucks out of the mud, but bee movement is in full speed ahead because the
first almond blooms are out and the growers are getting anxious. I have
never seen a season that it did not dry off before full bloom but no one
want's to wait as only the smartest growers get their bees in place before
the winter rains come. Beekeepers are also busy adding feed to their hives
which sure makes them look good to the almond grower because the spread out
when working sugar or nectar and the hives look fuller. The condition of
the bees appears normal, with hives that had good fall pasture looking
better then those who did not.(DA) Prospects for that big ben busting Sage
Honey crop are rated at 100% right now when it raining. Bee Breeders are
preparing for their first queen grafts and expect good demand for queens
and nucs and have the orders to prove it.
 
ttul, the OLd Drone
(Void where prohibited by common sense)
 
 
 
 
 
(c)Permission is given to copy this document
in any form, or to print for any use.
 
(w)OPINIONS are not necessarily facts. USE  AT OWN RISK!