In my opinion todays bees which are  "living with varroa" year around and 
the virus etc. are simply not as strong as what we ran before varroa. I 
believe all the old timers would agree?
comments old timers?

If you read the old books of a 100 years ago it was recommended to not try 
and winter a hive with less than 20 frames of bees. Before mites we could go 
into winter with 20 frames and come out with 12-15.
Now we go in with 9-11 and end up in spring with 6-7 as an average in the 
Midwest.

Bees used to take the stress much better.

Pesticides are weakening immune systems at times which is hard to diagnos
.

Beekeeping if very different today than fifty years ago when I started in 
beekeeping.


bob 

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