Jim reports "While it is true that a few people had just been
blissfully unaware of what was happening, the balance of the people
are educated,
informed and experienced."  And he goes on to add that they just about
all lost their hives!

Well, from Jim's earlier post we know the 'expert' advice is they lost
their bees because they used the wrong color bucket.  We just have to
conclude that no matter what color, it will be wrong.

The good news is on the formic front.  Some of us remember 5+ years
ago and all the excitement about the Betterbee product; which failed
due to packaging rather than its efficacy against mites.  I got a
chance to use the Mite Away product last year and results so far are
excellent.  Word is that use will be permitted in most if not all
states for 2005.  You should familiarize yourself with the product by
going to www.miteaway.com.  While it is not a cure-all it is sure one
heck of a good step forward for those of us in the northern states
where we have a good window for use in the fall.

Unfortunately, it is not a good treatment for those who live in areas
where temperatures in the 80's persist until late in the year.  Those
temperatures cause the formic to release too quickly, with damage to
the bees.  If the beekeeper waits until December/January for
consistent temperatures below 80 degrees, she is likely to lose her
hives from mites before she gets a chance to treat.

Lloyd
--
Lloyd Spear
Owner Ross Rounds, Inc.
Manufacture of equipment for round comb honey sections,
Sundance Pollen Traps, and producer of Sundance custom labels.
Contact your dealer or www.RossRounds.com

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-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and  other info ---
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