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Date: | Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:34:21 -0600 |
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> I always hear the problem is varroa controls are failing...
From where I sit, it looks to me as if we have waves of losses as the
efficacy of each strong chemical strip fails in turn.
Beekeepers come to rely on a method, learn to trust it, then varroa develops
resistance and learning starts over. At each such failure, losses mount,
then drop again as another new method is adopted.
> I would rather say many beekeepers are failing to control varroa! Formic
> and thymol work if applied correctly and at the right time. Hell even
> sugar dusting will work if done often enough.
Yes, formic and thymol do work, but they are far more dependant on
environmental and management factors than strips and less effective even
when they do work as expected, and that is not anything approaching anywhere
near 100%.
Another thing that we don't hear much about is the brood and other damage
that these "soft" chemicals (they are chemicals) cause in varying and
unpredictable degrees. Some experiments have shown drastic reductions in
yields after treatments with formic. Others have not. Goes to show how
variable the product is.
Anyhow, it seems when we have good varroa control, the other problems go
away. Varroa control on a large scale is easy with strips, but a bit of a
crapshoot with the other methods. Unfortunately, we will in all likelihood
run out of chemical options sooner or later.
I think the answer has got to be bee breeding and the development, and
adoption of resistant strains. There are already a few out there, and I am
sure there are more coming. Smart beekeepers are experimenting with them to
see if they suit their purposes, and some are finding strains which are
hardy, resistant to disease and pests and productive as well in their
particular situation.
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