Hello Randy & All,
Randy said:
> Speaking of parasites, I'm hearing of some sky-high nosema counts (in the
> multiple tens of millions) from the Midwest--far higher than what I'm
> typically seeing.  Bob, what kinds of numbers are you seeing or hearing 
> of?

I have not heard any numbers nor checked my yards since I put the supers on. 
The two problem yards I drenched never have really bounced back. One I 
treated as per your recommendations and the other Eric Mussen. You method 
proved the best. However neither made much honey so maybe my method would 
have been best. Depopulated and use acetic acid on the boxes.

All my other yards were boiling with bees before corn tasseled. I will not 
know how hard I have been hit in areas of corn until I get the supers off. 
We have doubled the size of the hot room hoping to strip supers faster. 
Still no signs of small hive beetle. The new room is setup to lower humidity 
enough SHB can not reproduce.

Once supers are pulled I hope to move hives away from corn into the range 
country. My friends doing canola in Canada say once the neonicotinoids get 
in the pollen and nectar they see the hives start going downhill but if 
moved quick enough away they can rebound before winter.

All of us are either just starting to pull supers or have been pulling for a 
week or so. One outfit has crashed. He is waiting for results. We suspect 
nosema ceranae but he does not tell us a lot. We are his competition in the 
area. His son told me today at the Midwestern meeting the outfit is in big 
trouble.

South of me in ranch country I have not heard of any problems and they have 
been pulling supers for a few weeks. North of me in Nebraska I was told they 
plan to pull starting this month. Later in the Dakotas.

None of us will get a clear picture till *all* supers are pulled. Now most 
are simply striping the first round.
I pulled my comb honey supers three weeks ago. Beautiful this year. Added 
drawn comb and have not been back.

Ask me again in a month.

bob 

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