This winter has been hard on the bees, no doubt about it.  I have heard 
reports of all lost to none lost and everything in between. So, I 
acknowledge the point of the news story, but I do have another observation.

I watched this video several times and was not able to see clearly, so I 
will start with that disclaimer.

What mite treatment strip is he removing from the deadout?  I was 
thinking it was Check-Mite based on rounded corners, but could not see 
clearly.  Do people really put these strips in and leave them all 
winter?  Seems the work that came out of Pennsylvania would say that is 
a bad idea as far as wax contamination.   The wax contamination could 
then lead to shorter lifespan because of lowered fertility of queen or 
drones or because of chronic exposure to pesticides.  Others say it is 
bad from a development of resistance standpoint as well.   Checkmite (my 
thoughts on what the strips could be) says to remove the strips by 45 
days after insertion. ApiVar (my other thought) says to leave 42 days 
and then remove.  If label directions were followed, then he was in his 
hives in the middle of the winter weather???

If bees are treated so late in the year that it is too cold to take a 
hive apart to remove strips, would that be an OK treatment?  Seems that 
the bees going through the winter need to be healthy.  If a treatment is 
needed that late in the year, are the winter bees (that need to have a 
long lifespan) already sick from diseases that mites spread and thus 
going to have a shorter lifespan?

Every time I see one of these stories of all of the bees are dying, I 
wonder if there might not be some management issue underlying the 
story.  Beekeeping has changed a lot and requires a great deal of 
diligent effort on the part of the beekeeper to be successful.  That 
effort is not just in the work that uses your back, but in the learning 
of what work to do and when to do it.  I am not claiming I have all the 
answers, but I know I have more than I did last year, and hopefully 
through continued reading and listening I will have more next year.  
Trouble is the questions seem to keep piling up as well...

Chris

-- 
Christopher J Cripps, DVM
Northeast Center for Beekeeping, LLC
Betterbee
8 Meader Rd
Greenwich, NY 12834
(800) 632-3379 x8001
www.BetterBee.com
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