On Mon, 5 May 2008 20:53:17 -0700, Dee Lusby <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
>jim:
>> Does anyone have an oppinion on formic acid treatments for
>> nosema ceranae?
>
>Reply:
>Yes, but most wouldn't like it.
But, most WOULD like it. I have written about this in the American Bee
Journal and have gotten a lot of favorable response. In fact, I have written
two more articles on "beekeeping without chemicals" due out this summer.
However, as I point out time and again, all beekeeping is local. What works
for you may not work for me, just because of local conditions such as
climate, proximity to other beekeepers, natural vegetation, locally adapted
bee stock, and so on.
If you do not acknowledge these factors, you are simply turning away from
the real problems encountered by other people in other areas. Which is fine,
except then to advocate what others should be doing is disingenuous, and
sets up a false hope.
Mike Allsopp writes:
> In both Cape and Savanna bees, the absence of varroacide applications and
a "live-and-let-die" approach to the wild and commercial honeybee
populations was crucial to the developed of population-wide varroa
tolerance, in contrast to the selective breeding and pesticide treadmill
practised in most parts of the world in an effort to get rid of the varroa
mite. Varroa destructor is concluded not to be a serious threat to honeybees
and beekeeping in Africa, and efforts should be made to prevent the use of
pesticides and techniques that could hinder the development of natural mite
tolerance in Africa.
But then, we all don't have African bees now, do we? An email acquaintance
wrote to me, upon watching the video of Lusby bees: "Those bees are just
like I remember them from my visit with the Lusbys. I don't think you'd need
an analysis to see if they're AHB's. One encounter and you'd know by
experience."
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