Walter:
Concerning Scot's reply about shortage of pollen. This was
written about by many concerning shortage of pollen and
also honey on the organicbeekeepers discussion list.
So let me bring out a few things to think about here! It is
known that varroa and trachael mites chewing upon
bees reduces life span of the bee, to the point with each
added individual mite chewing upon them, you can shorten
the
life of the bee to only a few days from emergence if they
emerge at all. This then impedes nursebee duties for even
doing brood at all, not to mention foraging.
On top of this shortening of life by action of mites, as I
remember, even Jaycox talked and wrote a whole lot about
artificial pollen substitutes reducing the life expentency
of honeybees also. So add this to the pot, along with
artificial syrups which certainly IMPOV don't contribute
either.
Then with life shortened by both mites and artificial
pollens fed, add acids that burn holes in bodies and allow
for vectoring in disease, besides IMPOV killing brood, and
in weak hives that cannot clean up after the acid
treatments, the delaying of next round of brooding, if at
all............and if taught to be done during broodless
periods (application of acids), then for weak hives already
threatened with shorted lives of bees, you have a turnover
delay added, not to mention breach of two key turnover
periods, namely the turn from shortlived to longlived and
vice versa, and those are key turns that make or break,
spring and fall.
Then think about this, with pollen and it has been
researched I believe though cannot remember who, there is
fall and spring pollen of darker colors, and then the
lighter pollens of mainflow summertime. One is with
long-lived honeybees and one is with short-lived honeybees,
and coincides with honey eaten/taken at those times. In
feeding in the artificial substitutes, how does one even
know the diet helps with this cycle or could in fact negate
it?
Just something to think about!
Respectfully submitted,
Dee A. Lusby
Small Cell Commercial Beekeeper
Moyza, Arizona
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/organicbeekeepers/
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