Bob Harrison,

Dee,Not to be the bearer of bad news but if your 200 hives died partly because
of nosema ceranae and you reused equipment I predict the problem will
surface again at another time. Will be interesting to see if happens.
 
Reply:
Yes it certainly will be interesting to see, and so far the yards are doing fine, and equipment taken up is full of bees and honey/pollen stores and still 18 yards to finish for working year so not roadblocked for working up in spring due to too much honey inside. But then in saying this, I guess we'll see if going back to SC with whole outfit works for the long-haul with zero treatments and the bees using broader foraging range for propolis is key, like Ed and I rationalized long ago now it seems for better health, food, and breeding for staying on top of problems.

Bob continuing:
Important:If you see losses again with bees in those reused boxes I would consider not
reusing the boxes (organic but expensive as spores are even on woodenware)
or using acetic acid before reuse.  It is my opinion that the longer you try
to reuse those deadouts the harder it is to keep healthy bees in those
boxes.
 
Reply:
But the equipment is already taken up and bees going strong and plenty of honeystores now.......so don't worry  Bobbie for I will keep reminding you that the equipment is still in usage now since Fall 2007 and we'll keep tracking while you IMPOV do the acid stuff and other for reuse as I don't have that time to waste........So you watch me and I'll watch you and we'll see were things end up. For to me if the bees cannot stay on top of problems by selves mostly, then they are not in tune with Nature and thus all the stuff thrown into hives. but if my bees do stay healthy, while I recirculate combs and such all around, yard to yard even in extracting......then "what does that mean for what you are doing?" 
 
So you take note and if you see continued losses and I don't......then if the shoe fits like someone says from time to time......:>) then what does it mean? but you might have to make changes instead of me.

continuing:
Nosema ceranae spreads through yards if left unchecked.
 
Reply:
ONly to me if left unchecked by the bees themselves not being able to balance with a wholebee system that does include balance of all co-existant microbes etc......

continuing:
I know you are not interested for the most part what a member of the crowd
doing about the opposite of what you organic beeks do but at least listen to
what we have learned.
 
Reply:
Same here Bob for it is a two way street and to me an artificial system enlarged by man for getting bigger and better bees is somehow indeed opposite of nature and what we organic beeks do, but like you say, if we have to listen to what you have learned, then you have sooner or later to listen to us!
 
Dee




      

*******************************************************
* Search the BEE-L archives at:                       *
* http://listserv.albany.edu:8080/cgi-bin/wa?S1=bee-l *
*******************************************************