*Bill T said:*





*" The 30% losses is an interesting number. If you split to get back to
youroriginal number, that means you have to split 1/2 of the survivor
hives. Soyou are automatically treating for mites by manipulation. Which
also meansthat you will probably suffer 30% losses every year with this
sort ofmanagement and be able to call yourself treatment free."*

*Excellent point, and one that is not well understood.  I know of two
'well-respected' beekeepers/breeders who raise over wintered nucs to
replace their annual losses and then call themselves 'treatment free'.
Both run 30%+- annual losses!*

*IMHO, these guys are doing almost nothing toward developing a 'resistant'
or 'tolerant' bee (nor am I), but one of these guys uses **phraseology to
imply otherwise.  Instead they have just learned to 'live with' annual
30%+- losses.*

*Lloyd *

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