>
>Observation:  I lost colonies this winter.  Some were due to Apistan
>resistant varroa.  Some probably to tracheal mite (TM).  But I still have
>problem blaming it all on mites.  Colonies that were protected from wind
>survived much better than those in the open.  Somewhere in the back of my
>head the weather keeps jumping into my thoughts.  WHY?

Ronald:

I've, unfortunately, experienced two consecutive years of about  60% hive
lose, and have wondered also if the weather was responsible.

         Winter 98 - 20 hives in the fall, 18 survived
         Winter 99 - 20 hives in the fall, 10 survived
         Spring 00 - 12 hives in the fall,   4 survived

The mites are present, but in check, and the hives that perished did so
with adequate supples of honey - starvation was not a contributing factor
to their demise.

My hives are at 1200 feet elevation in central NY State (the hilly apple
country), and it is not uncommon to have some really severe cold spells
(-20) with high chilling (30 mph) winds.   But in the last two years, every
January we experienced a significant warming trend (temps above 70!) which
lasted  6-10 days.

Butterfly bushes (a hardy zone 5 - 9 deciduous shrub) growing around my
hives have even leafed out during these January spells - consequently many
showed real stress in the following spring - and in fact, many have
perished - never sending up another green shoot.  Previous years, the
Butterfly bush has been dormant all winter long (and covered by snow) and
then thrived in the spring.  And in previous years captured June swarms
would stretch and capacity of my bee yard.

So, if all 'common' contributing factors to hive heath are known (mites in
check, queen OK, honey in the comb), as I (and you) believe them to be, I
too look at this weather and wonder......and my spouse looks at me and asks
why I keep spending money on new swarms every spring.

PWP


PlumleyFarms                                              [log in to unmask]
3188 Sentinel Heights Rd.
LaFayette, New York  13084
315-677-7743