> Far less than the internet makes one think…
> yes there are people with a few hives and low mite pressure or in a good
> spot, but they are the exception, not the rule
> Move Kefuss’ stock and it often fails
> Kirk Webster was wiped out for the 2nd time in a row this winter
> Sol endlessly splits and chases swarms and can’t seem to get his numbers
> up despite claiming very low losses, last word was he had 12 hives.
> Michael Bush  went in to winter with to 14 full sized hives (and 30 smalll
> hive/nucs - many of witch were combines of his mating nucs, that he started
> with bought packages )
>

I truly wish I could practice treatment free beekeeping as does anyone on
this list. My problem is that when I look into the operations of treatment
free beekeepers I find the truth that Seth wrote above. Mostly it is
location, location, location. The subset is splits, nuc sales and package
sales but the bees sold are not treatment free and die if not treated when
brought into the real world of Varroa pressure.

My poster child in this is a beekeeper I know who does not treat, promotes
that as the way to go, sells treatment free bees, and continually loses
their hives. Plus wrote a book on how to do it. Meanwhile I treat and lost
no hives this winter. The pied piper has more listeners than I do.

As I said, I would love to be treatment free. Unfortunately so do many
beekeepers who believe the talk without doing any research into the reality
that Seth noted. There is always a person behind the curtain.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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