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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Bill Truesdell <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 29 Aug 2005 09:45:03 -0400
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Peter Edwards wrote:

> Janet Brisson wrote:
>
>>  I just someone excited about something I see working and
>> again,
>> want to get the word out.
>>
>>     If this spring, our hives collapse in spite of all our work, I'll
>> report that as well.
>
>
> Well said!  I am not a 'scientist' either, although I studied the science
> subjects at school and have always taken a great interest in the
> scientific
> side of beekeeping.  In my view, ordinary beekeepers can contribute a
> great
> deal by reporting their observations, even if they are not able to
> conduct
> full scale studies with proper controls etc.

All well and good. I just have a problem with the method described.
There is plenty in the literature about powdered sugar for mite
detection in place of the ether roll. That requires the mite to be
coated with the sugar so it is dislodged (not killed) from the bee.

The application method described will not do that for all the mites and
bees in the colony. Plus, it has been shown that even the sugar shake
can yield bad data (less mites than are actually there) some times
during the year.

I think there were some that did take out every frame and powder (even
with talcum powder) the bees. That can get a bit labor intensive and
powdered sugar is difficult to work with at best. Plus, the non-caking
agents added to some powdered sugar is bad for bees. They will convert
it, with the additives, for stores so, in a long winter and cold
climate, it would not be a good winter store.

It has also been shown that open bottoms will lengthen the time to
Varroa collapse. Add another factor to increase mite drop and the time
is again lengthened. It is interesting that many methods used mite drop
and open bottoms as Varroa controls. None have stood up over time but
many are still in use with new converts as the old ones disappear.

I could use powdered sugar just as Janet is doing. I predict that my
bees would be fine come spring. I might report excellent results over
the next two or three years. After that, I would probably be in trouble.
Would I then have the courage to report back to this list that it did
not work? But by then I would have convinced others that it was an
excellent natural method to control Varroa.

I go by Bob Harrison's dictum: No proof unless the colony is stressed
(by the experimenter) with high Varroa pressure. Just about everything
works until then.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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