On Mon, Mar 5, 2018 at 5:38 PM, Peter Loring Borst wrote:

>
> Actually, comb rotation has been recommended for years in Europe and also
> in the US more recently. I am pretty sure there are a lot of people doing
> it, and I don't doubt there may be some benefit. However, I have seen so
> many colonies apparently thriving on very old combs, that I don't think it
> is worth the cost to be constantly rotating out combs, just because.


Comb rotation is not the same as sterilization of combs.

With radiation or other forms of sterilization we do not get rid of the
different contaminat the bees gather from the field. At least my experience
is that I need to rotate the frames because over time they accumulate too
much agrotoxics.

Maybe if I didn do pollination I could keep my frames for longer time, but
not with the current circuit I am obligued to do.

Same experience at Perú, where comb contamination with agrotoxics is more
dramatic.

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html