> > I also try to inform them that 'planning pays' and the certain path to > failure is to 'fail to plan'. Such a path for the new beekeeper does not > allow for them to not monitor for mites and from the get go they need to > find a feeding mechanism that works for them + a varroa control method (we > now enjoy quite a nice tool kit of these) that they can employ when a hive > encounters problems with varroa. Finally I tell them directly that there > is really no free ride here in that you do pay a price (both explicit and > not explicit) for going treatment free. > Largely beyond the topic of this thread, but I'll ask anyway since we are there. What frequency and method do you suggest to those starting out in treatment free to monitor for mites? Through years of experience, I know what months I should be checking on them and I know (roughly) how long to wait after a treatment (based on the size of the hive) to check again. But the years of experience don't come to the new beekeepers. I've suggested treating monthly through alcohol washes in the past, but have found most that want to do "treatment free" turn their noses up at the thought of killing a representative sample of bees (despite my best efforts to explain the need), prefer sugar rolls (that aren't as accurate, of so I've read), and tend to do it twice before abandoning it. Just wondering what recommendations have been successful for others, so I can hopefully help out the next beginner a little bit more. *********************************************** 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