>
> Dean asked: how is research done on "dinks" applicable to strong production
> hives?
>

When one gets rid of all the dinks, there are no sick hives left to figure
out what went wrong with them.
In my own research, dinks may be kept for comparison.  In my nosema test
yards, I have two universities comparing the differences in pathogens
between the dinks and the thriving colonies.

I lose money on the dinks.  I lose money by not treating all colonies for
nosema and mites.  I'm letting nosema infection run its course in one
yard--I lose colonies.

Colonies in tests can't go to almonds if that adds a variable, or if they
are too weak due to testing a treatment.

Right now I'm looking for colonies with high mite levels, so that I can
answer a sugar dusting question.  If I allow some colonies to reach high
mite levels, there is a good chance that those colonies will later die.

The reasons above are why it is necessary for government or universities to
perform some bee research--it is often costly for an individual beekeeper to
take the loss of income involved.  I know well.

Randy Oliver

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