Hi All,
The point to take home about sugar dusting, or any other treatment, is
to use bees that handle most of mite control by themselves. Any
treatment is secondary, and only to assist colonies that aren't
keeping up with the mites.
Peter's question about returning mites is really rather moot in my
operation, since we rarely see a mite drop of over 10 mites 10 minutes
after a sugar dusting. Any colony with a mite level that high is
either treated with a natural treatment, or moved to home to a mite
treatment yard for treatment and requeening. The few mites that are
dumped onto dry ground would likely have little chance at adding to
reinfestation.
Re Jim's question about distribution of dust onto the bees. Joe
Carmen sent me photos of commercial sugar dust blowers sold in Italy.
They blast dust into the entrance. I have not yet got one into my
hands for testing. I guess that I should add building one to my to do
list.
I'm not suggesting that top dusting through a screen is the best way
to dust, but just that it is simple and quick, and requires minimal
equipment--a screen and a brush. I have personally dusted over 300
colonies in a day without hand fatigue.
I'm not stuck on any method of beekeeping, and agree with Bill that
all beekeeping is local. That point has been driven home here in
Australia, where they do many things differently than we do in the
States. Conditions are different, so their methods are different.
By sharing different methods, we can all learn from each other, and
try different things. Beekeepers these days need to evolve, since
bees, pathogens, mites, nectar flows, and the market are changing each
year. What worked perfectly the last two years may fail completely
the next.
I suggest that all beekeepers keep open minds and avoid being
excessively critical of each other. Such criticism prevents many from
sharing good ideas, for fear of being ridiculed. I, for one,
appreciate hearing new ideas from which I can choose to test in my own
operation.
Randy Oliver
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