Allens comments on Varroa make me wonder about the practical effects of
eating the little critters mixed in with my pollen.
 
Yesterday, after checking my hives(I had to medicate 30 days ago after
letting both hives rob some VERY dirty old equiptment in early May) I
slipped a pollen screen into the bottom of my strongest hive. Because I
still have the strips in(for another 10 days), I presume I'm gonna have some
dead/dying varroa dropping into the collector with the pollen. We're in the
middle of an intense Himalayan Blackberry flow hereabouts and the
frustration of not being able to take the beautiful clear honey that is
being produced OR the pollen...is hard to bear.
 
So tell me, are varroa any less nourishing than pollen granules? Can I
consider that their brief contact with the mitiucide is going to effect me
anywhere near as badly as it effected them? Must I wait until the strips are
removed before I can harvest pollen?
And if so...can I just dump the tray at the hive entrance and expect them to
salvage the pollen.
 
One last thing...
Everytime I open my hives I find myself unable to avoid squishing bees as I
return supers, broodchambers, excluders and tops to their original
positions. I smoke and brush with my hand and SLOWLY lower...all to no
avail. They seem to compete with one another for the privelege of being
caught between the opposing walls. Yuccch. Am I doing something wrong?
 
...Stuart, Point Roberts, WA.
 
 
             A L A N   K E Y E S   F O R   P R E S I D E N T   ' 9 6
 
           "We don't have money problems; we have moral problems.
                    And it's time we stood up and faced that truth."
 
                           http://sandh.com/keyes/index.html