Mark recently said:
>The other treatment is a heat treating apparatus sold by Better Way (the
>wax melter people). It looks like it mounts on the top of the hive in the
>ad in the ABJ. It apparently operates on the principle that a raised
>temperature will affect the mites more than the bees.
 
That's interesting. Most comments on this list seem to indicate varroa
take their toll in the off-season. Though perhaps present at all times of
the year, it is my impression (as an amateur w/ 2 hives just getting
back into beekeeping since 1986) that varroa do not GENERALLY impact
a reasonably strong hive during the main honey season. Is it the high
reproduction rate of the bees that "overwhelms" or "overrides" the
impact of varroa, or, could it be that the summer temperatures do in
fact some beneficial impact in lessening the impact of varroa, as possibly
indicated by the sale of this "hive heater" Mark mentions.
 
Or is this just wishful thinking and can varroa take over an otherwise
healthy hive
during the main season and deal it a death blow? I understand not to use
Apistan during the honey flow, and so are we all just praying that the hive
will not get hit during the honey flow, or do other factors (like massive
reproduction and temperature) help minimize the effect of varroa during the
main season?
 
Ed
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Ed Sterling, GPCC       | ACTUAL quotes from my kids: "Daddy, hummingbirds
Bolton, MA 01740 USA    | help the bees put honey in the flowers!" "In the
Phone/FAX: 508-779-6058 | daytime, the sun melts the moon into cloudpieces!"
 "[log in to unmask]" | "A snowman makes the quietest sounds in the world"
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