>>> kirk jones, of Sleeping Bear Farms writes:

> Believe me, we are trying to reduce mite populations in
> every way possible. We try every thing we can check for mite
> drops. Thymol, formic, breeding our own queen stock with VSH
> queens, etc., and still we get populations that impact the
> health of our bees. 

Hello,

Against my better judgment, that it is better NOT to awake a sleeping bear. ;)

Are you sure that it is:

“still we get populations that impact the health of our bees” 

Or, could it be?,,, and have we ruled out the possibility?,,,

‘That the health of the bees is perhaps, impacting the varroa population‘?

I am astounded how the adage; ’all beekeeping is local’ continues to hold true in ALL cases, especially in the case of varroa.  

I am lately, becoming more and more fascinated to hear about reports of continuing varroa troubles from <<< northern beekeepers >>>  -where resistant domestics and ferals should by now be rather established.  My belief since about 1996 has been that varroa resistance in locally adapted domestic honeybees, as well as feral honeybees, would perhaps occur earlier, and to a higher degree in northern latitudes where feral honeybees are capable of surviving (the great equalizer winter, -with much greater efficiency, eliminating without compassion, those less able to compete).  This rapid feral recovery, we are experiencing here in SW Pennsylvania, -with those using adapted local stock, NOT experiencing to any great degree, stresses associated with varroa.  IMO, northern beekeepers still experiencing great varroa troubles, are perhaps, suggestive of an overweighted reliance on southern stock, lack of resistant feral population, or stock having insufficient
 balance of resistant traits that require the need to be supplemented by treatments. 

Commenting on VSH,,,  I am basically against VSH and other narrow focused trait selection as a sole criteria for varroa resistance.  VSH is only a small component necessary for adequate varroa resistance.  Example: VHS, less “northern adapted“,  Or less other traits of resistance, is IMO worthless for any northern beekeeper to perpetuate long term.  

> Comments that call for the elimination of all chemical
> controls are premature. I certainly want options available
> to keep my bees healthy. Every beekeeper has the option of
> choosing controls that work in their own beeyards. It is not
> necessary to reduce my option of controls to satisfy
> ideological views of someone else that may or may not be
> true.

I agree!
Perhaps, you can keep your bees the way you choose, while making efforts to develop stock that is not dependant on treatments.
Perhaps, an area of land that is determined to be 1. prime bee habitat, with 2. an existing feral population and 3. relatively distant from commercial beekeepng and non-local adapted stock; that your local bee associations and beekeepers can agree upon, can be set aside for the development of locally adapted -non treated stock.  If efforts aren’t being made this area to reduce or eliminate treatments, then aren’t we then, grasping onto an ideological view that we so despise from others.  ;) 

Best Wishes,
Joe -SW PA
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HistoricalHoneybeeArticles/
“A Western editor expressed his delight at having nearly been called
`honey' by the gal he loves, because she saluted him as `Old Bees wax' at their last meeting.” -1857, Monroe, Wisconsin




      

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