Hello All,
Leaving before long to an area without internet access so may be awhile
before I am on BEE-L again.
At a recent meeting a speaker/researcher made the statement he was looking
for another subject to research as we know about all there is to know
about varroa and varroa control. He has long been the speaker which has
laid down a specific number of varroa count before you need to treat and
more important a number when you do not need to treat. The top figure is
fine . its the bottom number I have a problem with and the diferences
between hives such as number of bees, amount of brood and a few other
factors. I realize his comments are meant for the small beekeeper to give
the beekeeper a starting point but varroa continues to baffle researchers
the world over. As our top controls stop working varroa control has become
very complicated.
The commercial veiw point.
Commercial beekeepers  are not researchers (although a few run experiments
and testing on a par with or above some research) and are not trying to
find a varroa tolerant bee ( although some are but usually not through
instrumental insemination close monitoring).
Their methods are simple. They know they have got varroa. They know they
have to treat most if not all hives. They have been advised by the
USDA-ARS that when they decide to treat a yard they need (for best
results) to treat all hives in the yard. So they treat and keep waiting
for the truely varroa tolerant bee.
Installing a bee which may or may not need treating is a smart move (Randy
Oliver) but still the large commercial beekeeper can not simply stop all
varroa treatments and hope for the best. Or do (or pay the labor) the
individual testing and treating involved with control on a small scale.
First the individual testing and only treating those hives above a certain
varroa level has never been recommended for large scale beekeeping.
So commercial beekeepers wait for the day the industry comes up with a bee
which will survive varroa for a given period of time without treatment.
Many will disagree with our methods but we are in the business of
pollination and producing honey. Not in the business of finding a varroa
tolerant bee ( although a few are)but doing the nations pollination and
surving tough times.
Despite the full page adds saying some queen breeders have used no varroa
control in years our testing has shown their queens will not tolerate
varroa untreated any longer than many others.
Purvis has a plan which will work but takes awhile to put in place and is
not cheap. Kill off the weak and susceptible and breed from survivors.
Dann and I have had our discussions over the method but he seems to be
seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (after at least 10 years of
culling and frankly a huge amount of money and time invested).
We need others willing to search/test for varroa and disease tolerant bees
besides Marla, Sue , Dann,/Randy and a few others but the process takes
time.
I commend their efforts!
bob

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