But actually NO Charles the goal of any non treatment beekeeper should be to have bees that simply do not need to be treated with chemicals and antibiotics constantly (and I suspect at a constantly increasing rate) just for them to survive.  What you do to make money after you have jumped this hurdle is a personal decision... you could make a honey crop or pollinate a crop or do absolutely nothing with them at all and you would still be a treatment free beekeeper.




Sorry ET,  you missed the point.   Using manipulation to  push TF  does absolute nothing for the genetics or the future.  Its rearranging the chairs on the sinking ship.   I assumed most here would understand that concept without a detailed explanation.

I consider most readers here to be at the top of the game and leaders in the bee community.  As such it seems we have a duty to really think and understand what we are doing.  As such 20 years with mites as Randy has so clearly pointed out,  we have moved the chairs around in every fashion,  but not many have reached for the life preservers.

To move forward with the TF concept we need to actually let the bees alone,  and see which ones can handle/manage mites.  When we use splits or drone comb removal as a tool,  it moves our own apiary forward,  but we did nothing in the big picture.  Self delusion aside, we can choose to manipulate or treat,  but we do not accomplish anything in the larger scheme.  

I have my doubts about what will work and succeed,  but there is no doubt when you ponder it for more than 2 minutes,  that constant splitting to stay ahead of mites, is not ever going to be a long term solution.

I have no doubt the methods will continue,  and no illusion that some will continue to proclaim it as the answer,  just as I have no doubt many understand my point.


Charles

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