Hi all
Just came across a most puzzling post in reading the activity on the BEE-L
list that some have been monitoring here on the Organics List:
It was posted by Jim Fischer this 29 Sept day:
quote:"Are small-cell beekeepers simply unwitting "SMR breeding program
Do-It-Yourselfers"?
If not, how would anyone know for sure?" unnquote.
Reply:
If this is true, then what is really SMR bees and breeding program other
then copying small cell beekeeping?
Any comments.................................
Jim Fischer then continued:
OK, here's I would "find out for myself":
a) Get some existing small-cell colonies that have been
properly regressed by someone who knows how to do this,
as my attempts at this failed.
b) Drop them off at a legitimate research facility for
them to record mite counts and monitor the colony
while doing normal beekeeper maintenance, but no
mite treatments.
Reply:
Gee, when we first shook down for second time Dr ERickson of the Tucson Lab
came out and did a mite count and it was published in ABJ in the fall Sep
Issue I think back in 1997. Then no one wanted to come back
out........................I think..........because we felt when the following year came the
count would be cut in half again and NO ONE SEEMED TO WANT TO KNOW ANYMORE!!!
c) Sit back and wait for the results, which will be initially
authoritative on the sole point of "do these colonies
really survive varroa?".
Reply:
Sit back and wait...........gee, it's been 8 years going on 9 in 2005 now
coming! How long does one wait1
d) Run a second study after the first, where we swap combs
in and out, swap queens in and out, and so on in an attempt
to narrow down root causes, and, one hopes, show that we
can, in the same colony, increase mite counts, and then
lower them again by merely moving the colony between combs
left over from various stages of regression. Or something.
Reply:
Gee, we not having a problem anymore with mites.......................but
who wants to know. All that is talked about is the cost and time in changing
commercially, and to me either they will or they won't and yet, we an't using
any dopes and many are into all sorts of various treatments.....and isn't that
time and money too and much labor in applications?
Monitoring a colony or three for mite drop and "survival" with the
usual beekeeper maintenance, but without use of miticides would be an easy
and very
low-cost project
to run. What studies have been done to date have stumbled on the
"regression"
step, resulting in some hard feelings on the part of the small-cell
enthusiasts toward the researchers.
Reply:
But key here is gutta want to do it.....................and mite drop counts
to me is for researchers with time. Me I/we got work to do now with bees
again and no more time for tinkering in basics when everything is under control.
Comments again, ...................as it seems we go thru this loop of
commentary yearly depending upon the list doing the speaking from here to the
Irish LIst in UK. So any more I just sit back and mostly listen. Good to see you
guys/gals having fun with the retoric.
In the end he who wins has bees to fill agric needs that are healthy.!
Regards,
Dee A. Lusby
_http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Organicbeekeepers/_
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Organicbeekeepers/)
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