Bob Harrison writes:

With tens of thousands of hives crashing in the U.S. right
now more than ever (from varroa resistant to both Apistan &
Checkmite) do beekeepers need those bees & packages.

Dee asks:
Where are your figures coming from for this information or
is this just a statement of your beliefs? Could you please
outline where these crashes are occurring by region or
stare, or expected to occur, between now, and the next
pollenation's upcoming season.

I am directly involved by phone with two commercial outfits with many
crashing hives (Nebraska & North Carolina). I n Missouri I know of four
crashing.
All have treated with an approved mite control (three different types) as
per label and have found varroa loads over threshold (after treatment
period). Examples of treatment failures I have been told about when they
have asked my opinion.

Checkmite failed and now using Apistan
Apistan failed and now using Checkmite
Checkmite & Apistan failed and now trying Apilife Var.
Sucrose failed and now using Apistan
Sucrose failed and now using checkmite
I am puzzled by the sucrose failures as they said they pulled every frame
and treated three times. One did say he treated at five day intervals (
instead of 7)  which might be the problem. Maybe both got the timing wrong ?
Don't know!

An editor of one of the leading bee magazines  sent an email wanting me to
write an article on my talk at the Kansas Honey producers meeting because he
is getting reports from all over the U.S. of hives crashing from varroa.

The beekeeper which we would send hives with to California (*if* we decide
to send bees to help with the severe shortage) has close ties to Almond
pollination as he sends around 8,000 hives of his own each year. He  said
California beekeepers are  seeing massive deadouts and are afraid they will
not be able to fill pollination contracts this year. Asking for help with
pollination. (KHPA meeting Oct. 16,2004)

I was invited to attend  the meeting of the National Honey Board in Kansas
City this week and talked to many large commercial beekeepers. Same story.
(Oct. 20&21 ,2004)

 I am deliberately holding back outfit names but the talk of the meeting was
of a large California queen breeder with enough varroa losses to consider
getting out of the business. (NHB meeting Oct. 20-21, 2004)

Large Missouri migratory beekeeper received a call last spring from a large
Texas queen breeder wanting to buy hives as his were crashing from varroa.
Around 4,000 .We later heard he bought thousands in the Dakota's.

Shall I go on?

 The situation is not as bad as when tracheal mites arrived in the U.S. and
beekeepers lost half the commercial hives.

Or as bad as when varroa first arrived and over half the commercial hives
were lost.

But the problem is growing.

I saw the problem coming as did Dee Lusby, Barry Birkey, Dennis Murriel and
others and if you read back several years to our discussions ( 2001-2002 on
BEE-L) you will see we predicted the current problem.

My own bees are doing great. I last used chemical strips three years ago. I
have since put over half my operation on new comb. Hoping to raise and
install varroa tolerant queens in the rest of  my hives next spring.

Bob

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