Bob,
She has just completed a 10 year search for a survivor bee.
She has selected from a huge population of bees and came up
with 10% survivor queens.
Reply:
No offense, but this happened with the shakedown in the
spring of 1997 (Feb started). From there we have come
steadly forward. Maybe not fast, but as the bees could work
the combs back up with our desert climate (also over 5
years of bad drought thrown in.).
Bob continues:The only difference between what she did and
Purvis & myself is we ADDED varroa pressure to speed the
process.
Reply:
Varroa hit us about 1994 and the varroa count found during
our shakedown of apiaries by the Tucson Bee Lab was sent to
me during a talk at the 1997 Alabama State Beekeepers 100
Aniv Meeting and published in the Sept 1997 issue of ABJ if
I remember correctly. No other tests were ever taken by the
way, but then our problems stopped with mites and secondary
diseases went away. All we have done since is grow bees
limited by the small amount of wax drawn in a desert
climate.
So we shook down with varroa pressure to get immediately to
a survival bee and weed out the ones that wouldn't make it.
We were told probably 90% wouldn't and yep, 90% didn't make
it thru. So much for survivalability in the USA of domestic
bees.
Reply:
Ok. Now we know Dee is running varroa tolerant bees. She
should not see any secondary disease. Zero PMS!
Reply:
Right! no parafoul. and yes we have debated this in the
past the foul mixture in the hives and PMS we call
parafoul.
That we havem't seen much of since shakedown. (also talked
about it on other lists too these past years).
Bob continues:By constantly replacing wax over the last 10
years she has taken comb rotation to levels never even
dreamed of even by the Europeans!
Reply:
Don't think so here. For to do that with us retooling our
won wax we would not be 900+ colonies today in deeps 3/4
high (some 5 right now) in our desert climate, while going
thru 5 plus years of dought.
We have pulled badly drawnout combs and melted, but that is
minor compared to the workup producing splits/divides for
expansion. And those that come can see the wax is dark and
aged, being there a few years now.
Bob continues:
The last important key to her success (in my opinion) is
the lack of stress in her bees being on permanant
locations.
Reply:
Now this you would have to visit to see. Lack of you say.
We have plenty of vandals, animals (large), and theft to
deal with, besides the microbursts to deal with out here.
You should be so lucky.
Bob again:I firmly believe cell size difference of .2 to .3
of a mm. has little to do with hive well being!
Reply:
It is the jump distance in each regression down, and each
regression clears up problems, of which hive well being is
included.
Bob writes:
hive with 5.1 to 5.3 mm both would not get secondary
disease problems such as PMS!
Reply:
Okay for now, but I will wait to hear what you are saying
in about 10 years, considering the past 10 in
experimenting.
As to where's the proof, I guess for the two of us, we just
keep going, for we must believe in what we do to go
forward, regardless of what others say.
Respectfully submitted,
Dee A. Lusby
Small Cell Commercial Beekeeper
Moyza, Arizona
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OrganicBeekeepers/
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