BEE-L Archives

Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

BEE-L@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Christopher Slade <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 26 Jun 1998 19:43:26 EDT
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (22 lines)
Andy Natchbaul says it is not known how many mites per given quantity of bees
should be a treatment level for varroa.  He may well be correct for conditions
in the USA especially as there so many regional variations in climate etc.
 In the UK the Ministry of Agriculture's Central Science Laboratory has just
published a pamphlet entitled Varroa jacobsoni: monitoring and forecasting
mite populations within  honey bee colonies in Britain. It is based upon a
computer simulation model which can estimate both the number and distribution
of mites within a colony at any time.  This allows monitoring methods to be
quantified and changes in the mite population to be forecasted.  It is used in
conjunction with a circular slide rule which gives an idiot's guide as to
whether to treat or not depending on the estimated number of mites in the
colony  and the time of year.
It is emphasised that the beekeeper must monitor the mite population and the
leaflet gives intructions how to do this. The advantage is that unnecessary
treatments are avoided as they involve loss of time or money and may increase
mite resistance and residues in honey, but the beekeeper must be confident
that the colony will not collapse if treatment is delayed.
The Varroa Mite Model means that a beekeeper can assess the present scale of
the problem and forecast the future level of infestation.  This increases the
efficience of mite control and saves both time and money.
Chris Slade

ATOM RSS1 RSS2