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Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:23:27 -0500 |
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Peter Borst wrote:
>
> Another
> idea (mine) is: the colonies are widely spaced and high in trees may be very
> important. We keep our hives in apiaries, close to each other near the
> ground. Try keeping them 25 feet up and a quarter mile apart. That should work
>
>
>
Interesting that I thought the same thing in regard to Waldig's comments.
I could easily show that a swarm from one of my hives could, through
further swarms, move ten miles from my home in a year or so. All that
would be necessary then would be for the intermediate colonies to die
off from whatever reason and the more distant colonies would, if there
were no other beekeepers in the area, thrive because of the isolation.
That group of bees would expand, naturally, until they came into contact
with mites again. You could then have collapse all around the
contaminated area, but that might just isolate the bees again so they
continue to thrive. Separation is everything, as Peter surmises. It is
not that the bees are genetically superior but that nature does not
congregate even a few colonies of bees in a small area. It knows better
and keeps the losses and problems far enough apart to maintain the
health of the whole system.
When you look at a forested area, the separation would be even greater,
mostly because of the lack of forage.
If feral bees are the answer, it is easy to prove. Just move them to
your bee yard on their own comb and never treat.
Bill Truesdell (who believes in feral bees but not Allen Dick, who
actually is that man behind the curtain)
Bath, Maine
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---
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