At 10:10 31/12/96 +0000, you wrote:
>In message <v01510100aee97e6a85f3@[206.149.102.21]>, Jerry Fries
><[log in to unmask]> writes
>>Im not sure exactly what it means but in your reply about paint vs oil you
>>mentioned most hives are white. Probably so, mine are because it just seems
>>to fit no other reason.
>Brother Adam's hives are salmon pink, I understand from his biography.
>
>--
>Alyn W. Ashworth
>Lancashire & North-West Bee-Keepers' Association. UK.
>(but I don't speak on their bee-half)
>
Greetings Alyn,
 
Buckfast Hives have white brood chambers, brown supers and pink roofs.
 
There is no point in coordinating treatment for Varroa.  We tried it in
Devon (we're a few years ahead of you with varroa remember).
1. Every beekeeper has a different time of convenience.
2. In Devon and probably in Lancashire there are as many non-association
members that are almost impossible to contact.
  Our experience suggests treat as late as possible.  The dangers are not so
much to combat resistance as to avoid recontamination from weakened,
untreated colonies.  We have a milder climate than you but I had my strips
in from start of October to mid November- I picked a couple of mild days but
although a few colonies were clusterd they did not object to swift removal
of strips with pliers.  All over in seconds!
 
I'm surprised you, nor anyone else so far, has made a comment about the
illegal use of Klartan.  Home made wood strips may be cheap but are
guaranteed to bring about fluvalinate resistance as the actve ingredient is
released in the first few days and not over two complete generations. (6
weeks).  This is exactly what happened in Scicily and elsewhere in Europe.
 
By the way  I think these lengthy notes on Bee line are great.  Even the
ones that I find boring I can zap out of existence in milliseconds.   But
best of all is the great international differences in humour.  You have now
experienced it first hand. And as a bonus there are some (NB. SOME!) very
expert people on the list who spend a lot of time sharing their knowledge
quite freely which can only be good for world beekeeping.  It is up to you
to select the best from the rest
 
Regards
 
Glyn Davies Ashburton Devon UK.