Jerry Said: My point is,  if your bees are diseased, it's a way of making sure that
they are all exposed.  I can back that up with data.

I would agree with the above statement. However, each feeding method as explained has pros and cons. In Alberta as for fall feeding it is common to use barrel feeding, except in cases where apiaries are overlapped with other beekeepers. Keep in mind, when beekeepers  use barrel feeding they already have their treatments in place such as Apivar and oxytet. Beekeepers also add fumagillin to the sugar syrup and make sure it is not directly exposed to light.  Although there are risks but they have been minimized by taking mitigating actions as described above.

I found the most intriguing part about the barrel feeding is the following:
- stop the queens from raising more brood in the fall by filling up all emerging brood cells with sugar syrup.  Thus most of varroa is on bees and varroa treatment becomes very effective.
- If a colony can't  get much feed, that means it is weak. This type of colonies will most likely not make it through the winter. Beekeepers check these colonies and if they don't have population, they remove them out of the system in the fall.  If they have population they feed them with top hive feeders or use honey from the eliminated ones.

For sure, If you can use top hive feeder or inside feeder, this is  a different situation in terms of risks of sharing diseases and pests.

Medhat


Dr. Medhat Nasr
Alberta Provincial Apiculturist
Pest Surveillance Branch
Research and Innovation Division
Agriculture and Rural Development
17507 Fort Road NW
Edmonton, AB T5Y 6H3 Canada
Tel: 780-415-2314             Fax: 780-422- 6096
E-mail:  [log in to unmask]
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail.

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm