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:
Kristina Williams <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 9 Jan 2016 16:51:00 -0700
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (60 lines)
From Deborah: could you detail the alcohol wash you recommend, and should I
chose to be a 'treatment free' beekeeper what procedures would you
recommend?

Hi Deborah,
   The alcohol wash I do is the same as Medhat Nasr's, which he shared with
us at a Colorado State Beekeeprs' meeting a few years back.  From a brood
frame WITHOUT THE QUEEN collect 300 workers, NOT THE QUEEN, about 1/2 cup,
into a jar of winter windshield wiper fluid (WWWF).  Shake for 1 min.
Strain through 1/8 hardware cloth into a second jar or light colored bowl -
bees on the mesh, mites in the second jar.  I use and highly recommend the
apparatus that Medhat uses, available from the Alberta Beekeepers' Assn.
It's basically 2 peanut butter jars with the lids welded together with a
piece of hardware cloth sandwiched between.  The WWWF has methanol, less
offensive to bees that isopropanol (rubbing alcohol), and often has some
non foaming detergent as well.  Marking your queen helps prevent accidental
sampling.
   Count the mites.  They're dried blood color, about the size of dried
quinoa.  7 or more mites, you need to do something.  I have only a few
hives in the backyard, so I sample each one.  For larger yards I sample a
proportion. I sample in the spring, midsummer, and fall. I write the
results on the hive lid (eg, VD=13...yes I have VD).  If I need to treat, I
also sample afterward to make sure it worked.  Yes, your sampled bees will
die, but you may be saving the whole hive.  Powdered sugar is difficult,
enrages the bees, and I'm not convinced of the accuracy or that those bees
survive.  Sticky boards are also difficult to use properly, simple as they
seem, and require a second, well timed trip to the apiary.
   Treatment free is a whole other discussion (can-'o'-worms really).
Randy Oliver's scientific beekeeping.com has some great info, especially
about drone trapping.  I highly recommend that you get 3-5 years of bee
experience under your belt before you even consider TF. Actually drone
trapping is a form of treatment.  You really need to understand beekeeping,
bee biology, mites, the cycle of seasons where you are, etc.  As for
"survivor bees," you cannot select for anything with only one hive.  Even
with hundreds, you need a solid understanding of genetics and honey bee
breeding biology.  Bees aren't going to become varroa-virus free in one
jump. That's magic.  There will likely be dozens of genetic traits in play,
all interacting with the environment and beekeeping practices.  Those
traits don't appear just because they're needed.   Every time a colony
dies, its genes die with it, the cumulative effect being loss of diversity,
not increase.  I see treatment as a tool for selecting for better bees.  A
breeder can preserve genotypes for overwintering ability, gentleness, honey
production, low swarming, all things bees need, while keeping eyes peeled
for varroa resistance, hives doing just a little better than their yard
mates.
   Okay, enough already.
Cheers,
Kristina
Boulder, CO




>

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

ATOM RSS1 RSS2