Hi to all on BEE-l

Robert Brenchley wrote:
Does anyone know why the infection rate rose so high?

Reply:
Well most here I imagine will not like my answer but I am
going to say it anyway.

This is the time period of the 1920s and 1930s when
beekeepers with the help of manufacturers first started
really upsizing workercombs in the broodnests.

If one were to follow all the various phasing in of larger
cell sizing, one would note that with each upsizing a new
problem arose of either secondary diseases or parsitic
mites to todays problems of scavengers.

In reverse when we first regressed down starting in the
mid-1980s to early 1990s we again went into a situation
were we could live with parasitic mites, but not make a
liviable crop and still could not adequately control
secondary diseases. This first sizing regression was to
5.0mm - 5.1mm sizing range top tolerance.

To control the harder secondary diseases and the first
onces to appear, we had to regress down again to 4.9mm top
tolerance for our foundation. We now again run a natural
infestation rate of 1-2% for all foul broods combined,
including chaulk, and now minor parasitic mite problems.

Now we also cull combs to no more than 10% donres on any
one frame. Notice I didn't say cull all drones. You need
the drones. and by culling to 10% on anyone frame you
actually end up with more drones then fewer. But there is a
difference here in the culling. For it disperses the drones
and actually makes for more drones being continually reared
throughout the active season, which is necessary for
successful mating.

Does small cell size work. Well, we are now 700 colonies
with three deep unlimited broodnests plus honey supers and
planning to expand this year to 900-1,000 colonies. We are
now also going into 6 years plus on this second regression.

Foul brood is no longer a problem. We take care of it the
old way by pulling the infestation and melting the combs
down and reprocessing the wax in a Kelly wax melter. We
then make new foundation out of the reprocessed wax. Note,
I did not say solar wax melter. Solar wax melters don't
kill foul broods. ONly underwater bath Kelly wax melters
do!

Regards,

Dee A. Lusby

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