Enjoying hearing from beekeepers who aren't treating.
Might I make a suggestion?  Since most any hive will survive a year without
treatment, for our benefit, please state how many years, and how many hives
you have.

I know of many beekeepers who keep a handful of hives without treatment and
suffer losses of a few to maybe 50% a year.  When they bring deadouts to me,
most, but not all, have clearly died from major varroa infestation.

But as Bob says, many of those keeping survivor stock make lesser amounts of
honey.  Those of us who keep moving bees to good pasture also see more
varroa buildup.

One statement by Bob did catch my eye:
>Later it was learned SMR was simply hygienic behavior.

Not the full story.  Seems now that there was both hygienic behavior (VSH)
*and* Suppression of Mite Reproduction (SMR) involved.  The SMR appears to
be due to pheromonal (kairomonal) signals, or lack thereof.

Due to the many ways in which bees can fight varroa, I strongly support all
the small-scale beekeepers who are forgoing treatments and practicing
breeding from survivors.  It is from them that we are likely to find better
breeding stock.

Randy Oliver

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