>Therefore, colony welfare may get larger interest in this group.

Certainly an interesting and evolving discussion. Thanks all. 

There are a lot of disturbing images of management methods. Noticeable is the movie of a few years back of colony splitting in CA after almonds. Large beekeeping operation like most all large livestock operations can't economically give the same "compassionate" care to individual bees or colonys that we smaller ones do. It is a very slippery slope however if we start claiming the high ground on  compassion or mercy. I remember when the discussion was whether or not it was better to destroy your colonies in the fall and start fresh in the spring. Packages at that time were around $20. We routinely "pinch" old or under-preforming queens. We are encouraged to sacrifice 300 bees for a varroa sample. We burn colonys with AFB. Each time you're stung you have killed a bee (they deserve it). Some will not do any of this yet let their colony die slowly because they carry the TF mantle. And what of our compassion for mosquitoes, yellow jackets or varroa mites for that matter? It is a foolish subject that one would expect from a child but from Dr. Seeley?

On the subject of how some have success with their TF management it seems that we first should determine if it is the bees, the geography or the management. I'll admit that I suspect management but I'm open minded. I learned about a week after I started keeping bees in 1981 that beekeepers are lairs topped only by fishermen. Dick has credible evidence of beekeepers in the northern tier being successful with TF methods. We read of beekeepers suspending treatment and loosing most colonys but recovering with at least tolerant bees. We have many stories of lack of transfer-ability of these lines. I propose an experiment. Easy for me since I don't think I can participate. Most all the operations in my rural area are large commercial guys and definitely not TF. But if you know of a successful TF beek close by offer to swap say 4 of your colonies for 4 of theirs for a season. Both use your normal management and see how they do compared to the rest of the apiary.

When we say TF what does that mean? The only chemical (and that includes all popular controls) that I have recently used is for varroa. Not from philosophy but from need. My last bottle of Fumidil ran out about 10 years back and I have noticed no change. I have a bottle of Tylan that expired in 2010 unused. I have had no observed AFB in that time (lucky I guess) and the few cases of what looked like EFB cleared up with a new queen and destroying the effected brood combs. I am not too pure to use OT I just don't have a veterinary directive or so far the need. Chalk brood is a small annoyance in a few colonys in the spring but also clears up with a new queen and a good honey flow. I have not used any of the new menagerie of supplements and will compare my bees health with anyone's. I would argue that splitting, requeening, managing swarm control, and moving to favorable forage are in a sense treatments in that they contribute to colony health and productivity but most would not consider them as such. So I guess that I'm treatment lite. If there is a problem fix it and for me that is varroa.

What is the moral purity of TF or Blackbox beekeeping?  What is the pleasure? I am at a loss.  Compassion for all living beings means ALL living beings. You can't morally pick and choose. So do what you need to do to keep them healthy and productive or stay away. That's my advise.

Paul Hosticka
Dayton WA

 

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