>If there is anybody out there within three hours driving time of my  
house
 >(Ithaca, NY) that has colonies that have survived more than two years
 >without chemicals of any kind, I would like to see them. You can  
write to me
 >off list.

Peter--That might be me!   Though I gotta say I have the luxury of  
income from a day job to support these efforts (failures)  whereas a  
commercial beekeeper could not take the jump and the dip in  
productivity in their operations and stay in business.
  It may be the smaller keepers who define a different (scale) model  
to the commercial beekeeping paradigm.  Anyone with bees is a  
beekeeper & the diversity of this base is a strength to the industry  
in my opinion.  If everyone kept bees the exact same way we would be  
in a world of hurt.

I'm picking up on several initiatives for my model.  Obviously, a  
plan with a long way to go to fully implement.  I do however maintain  
a level of production & sales that grows every year.  This drives me  
to either succeed or pay out to maintain product for sales.
SO:
01--I cannot be completely "organic" as I live in an area where  
people will be putting down insecticides on yards, to corn & on  
orchards. However I choose not to put chems in my hives--I do use  
insecticides here & there myself and know from my day job how well  
and cost effective a well placed chemical treatment can be.
02--I like what Kurt Webster says about not having all my bees in the  
same rotational cycle.  This years splits are my packages for next  
year.  This years bees are for honey production.
03--I have not used miticides for three years  That said I have lost  
a lot of bees.  75% this year.  30% were lost  following the 2 week  
April snow storm as these were weak colonies with small clusters &  
needed a "normal" April that they did not get.
04--my base stock needs to stop brood rearing quickly during a  
dearth.  This is so I can have a "broodless" period of two weeks that  
coincides with our August dearth.  I have been caging queens but this  
is too difficult for many hives. The break in brood cycle reduces  
mite loads.  This coupled with drone trapping are my main methods for  
controlling mites.  Local selection of survivorship is where I'm headed.
05--I am considering the use of Formic Acid as a spring treatment-- 
but im waffling.
06--Local bees are preferred I do not want to import problems.  I  
like the Idea of a NE Queen breeding program--or just a local queen  
breeding program to suit localities with different climatic conditions.
07--Half my yearly sales are from beeswax candles, I harvest wax &  
have a strong wax recycling process.  Plastic foundation is easy to  
scrape--wax is rendered in the garage.

Not perfect --not for everyone!   Tailored for my beekeeping!

My hurdles include loss of bees, & where to replenish to maintain my  
apiaries.  I am still buying bees  to replace losses--but this is  
already reduced in occurrence as my methods & (hopefully) my stock  
improves.  If I can become sustainable, again I draw on K. Webster's  
writings,  then I will gain income out of the process & can write off  
some early losses.

My biggest problem now is my day job where I travel every other week  
to Michigan --not enough time.

Mike Griggs

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