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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Justin Kay <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 11 Jan 2016 12:59:43 -0500
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>
> I also try to inform them that 'planning pays' and the certain path to
> failure is to 'fail to plan'.   Such a path for the new beekeeper does not
> allow for them to not monitor for mites and from the get go they need to
> find a feeding mechanism that works for them + a varroa control method (we
> now enjoy quite a nice tool kit of these) that they can employ when a hive
> encounters problems with varroa.  Finally I tell them directly that there
> is really no free ride here in that you do pay a price (both explicit and
> not explicit) for going treatment free.
>

Largely beyond the topic of this thread, but I'll ask anyway since we are
there. What frequency and method do you suggest to those starting out in
treatment free to monitor for mites?

Through years of experience, I know what months I should be checking on
them and I know (roughly) how long to wait after a treatment (based on the
size of the hive) to check again. But the years of experience don't come to
the new beekeepers. I've suggested treating monthly through alcohol washes
in the past, but have found most that want to do "treatment free" turn
their noses up at the thought of killing a representative sample of bees
(despite my best efforts to explain the need), prefer sugar rolls (that
aren't as accurate, of so I've read), and tend to do it twice before
abandoning it. Just wondering what recommendations have been successful for
others, so I can hopefully help out the next beginner a little bit more.

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