--- On Sat, 3/7/09, Allen Dick <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> How many on the list are using bees that are adapted to
> varroa and resistant to other diseases and pests? Where did
> they originate? How long have they been able to stay
> treatment free? Are they of commercial caliber?
Hello Dick,
I will attempt to write this letter without using the word ‘feral’. ;)
My bees, as well as bees outside of my control seem to be adapted to varroa. The bees originate from a 3 county area, thanks to bee referrals by the leading pest control company in western PA that I work with (who BTW are very pro-bee and refuse to harm honeybees or use pesticides known to be harmful to them), as well as from swarm traps in woodlands. Since recording where the bees originate, I have identified only 3 areas since 2002 that I am particularly interested in obtaining bees from.
> It is my personal opinion that the bees I see are more
> hardy than some in the past. Am I mistaken?
I am noticing that smaller colonies are making it through winter, when in previous years since varroa arrived would have succumbed. My opinion may differ as to where the credit goes for this ‘seemingly hardier bee’. I do not place credit solely at the colony level for the hardier bee, But IMO, much of the credit goes to the population as a whole and its sustainability against disease and pests. It appears from my observations, there is MUCH less influx into my colonies coming from disease and pests from other failing colonies in the population, as well as better breeding from the abundance of bees now residing in my locality. So bees are certainly not being stressed in this manner as they once were, and “less stress always equals hardier bees“.
Incidentally, I just got back from looking at a new bees hives, that experience told me in October to give them all about a 50/50 chance of wintering successfully (and I was being generous in offering up the 50/50 chance as I did not have the heart to bring myself to discouraging the new beekeeper too much). I inspected them yesterday, and they are all doing fine, maple nectar being stored, pollen, and nice brood starting up. In light of the smaller clusters I keep noticing that are wintering successful, I may have to change future criteria for estimating success rates of colonies showing similar attributes to 60/40 perhaps. ;)
-Are they of commercial caliber?
This perhaps needs more time to tell. The past 2 seasons have been a bit perplexing for me. The bees not doing as well as expected, compared to the 2 seasons prior to these past 2 seasons. I am of the opinion, it is perhaps due to environmental conditions that affected forage because other beekeepers in the area have experienced similar problems. Another factor in support of my belief that environmental conditions were harsh, was the fact that wintering success has been very good this past season, which in my view, indicates that, although there may have been nutritional deficit, the bees are not stressed much by disease and mites, which suggests a very healthy local population IMO.
Iowa State Reporter
Thursday, December 11, 1884 Waterloo, Iowa
"De honey-bee is de miser o’ insecks,
yet his stinginess results in good to de
human family. De stingy man is de
miser o' folks, but his stinginess doan
do anybody no good."
Best Wishes
Joe
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HistoricalHoneybeeArticles/
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