> However there is an important part of her method
> which might in itself be a powerful aid to separating bees from their
> problems.  This is her repeated shake down method which (as I understand it)
> takes all the old brood comb and developing brood from the colony and forces
> the bees to start afresh..  Done at the right time this will leave the vast
> majority of mites behind and also the fungal spores and bacteria which can
> have such a debilitating effect on the well being of a colony of bees.  No
> wonder her bees apparently bounce with health.

Hi Chris -

Indeed, shakedowns do create a break in cycles and could be seen as a form
of control. However, it seems a long shot to attribute this to the Lusby's
continued success. After all, it's not a practice that is performed on any
kind of regularity. Those hives that were shaken down on to 4.9 foundation
are now 4 to 5 years old. AFAIK, these hives have never gone through this
process since.

Doing shakedowns are very handy when you are going through the regression
process. When I went through this last year, the mite level kicked in early
and I was afraid it would be too much for the bees as they were working hard
pulling comb and raising brood. I made the decision to shake them down again
which broke the varroa cycle and allowed them to 'work in peace' for the
remainder of the season. Very useful procedure. Nothing I'd want to do on
any regular basis though.

Regards,
Barry