Hi Bob,

I agree with all your observations!

Anyone doing things the same as a few years ago is gambling seriously.

What I keep hearing is that what worked a few years ago no longer
works!  Mite thresholds are a thing of the past.

Many shifting to sucrose, or 50-50 blend.

Lots of nursing of dinks.

High mites or poor nutrition in late summer = collapse.

Amazingly, some very strong colonies are being produced with only
minimal mite treatments.  Others have treated on a weekly basis all
fall.  There are management strategies that I will write about.

Most is common sense and diligence.

Randy

****************************************************
* General Information About BEE-L is available at: *
* http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/default.htm   *
****************************************************