Date sent:              Tue, 10 Nov 1998 09:59:39 -0500
Send reply to:          Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and
Bee Biology
                <[log in to unmask]>
From:                   Lloyd Spear <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:                Drones and Varroa
To:                     [log in to unmask]
 
> acid, essential oils, etc.  The author maintains that he has controlled
> Varroa for several years solely by "trapping" Varroa on drone brood, and
> then destroying the brood!  He is doing the opposite of reducing drone
> brood.  He is deliberately increasing the amount of drone brood to attract
> mites to the drone brood (where they are subsequently destroyed), rather
 
While I agree that the drone brood population is increased (with the
trapping methods) the Varroa in those cells are 'not' allowed to
emerge causing an increase in mites. The discussion is breeding
extra drones (for mating) and in doing so increasing the volume of
mites to a dangerous level.
>
> IMHO, the colony collapses we have all seen in July/August is because there
> is not sufficient drone brood for the mites, so they infest worker brood as
> a second choice.  We are each entitled to our views, and mine is that if we
> eliminate drone brood in an attempt to control mites, the effect will be to
> put the mites onto worker brood and the hives will collapse sooner rather
> than later.
 
It depends on what is meant by the term 'eliminate'. If we are
talking of the deliberate reduction of drone cells to prevent a normal
population of drones, then I agree it will tend to force more mites
into worker cells. But if 'eliminate' means to use the drone trapping
system, then it will keep numbers under control, and less Varroa
will be available to infest worker cells.
 
> There is some thought that since good Carnolians stop raising brood in
> Northern climates, their hives have fewer mites in the spring than do hives
> of Italians.
 
Just in passing, our Italians don't have brood at this time of year
either. Blanket statements regarding bee behaviour do tend to
bother me, when they don't have much basis in fact.
 
 
 
 
*****************************************
The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive, Unit 2,
Orillia, Ontario, Canada.
Phone (705)326 7171 Fax (705)325 3461
David Eyre, Owner
e-mail<[log in to unmask]>
http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks
****************************************