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BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: mellifera on January 28, 2007, 01:52:06 pm

Title: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: mellifera on January 28, 2007, 01:52:06 pm
Hello All-

We are having a warming period after some very cold (0 degrees Fahrenheit) winter weather and went out to check the hives and there was no activity and no droppings in the snow, from cleansing flights. I will open up further today - but - it looks like both hives are completely dead. (sigh.) I had a v. mite problem this summer and treated in the Fall, but probably too late, so numbers of bees were low going into winter and couldn't keep warm enough.. (a theory - plenty of honey stores - dead bees don't look starved - no tongues out)

So, it looks as if I will be starting over again this spring. I am trying to decide what breed of bees to get. I may try two different varieties and see what works best in my situation. (I have to decide now, as this is the season to order..) Any suggestions? These were originally Russians (three years ago) but requeened themselves - so who knows what they ended up as..

Here are my particulars: short season, cold winters, mite resistance - am in Northern California, so would like to either pick up packages or have them shipped. (I started with one 3 pound package originally)

Buckfast? Hygenic? Old World Carniolian? Italian? Russian source? Nucs vs. Packages??

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Mellifera

Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Kathyp on January 28, 2007, 02:29:09 pm
i am from n ca.  your winters are much like mine, except usually a little dryer.  the thing i had to do, and would not have known without much advice from here and elsewhere, was to have the hive treated and with full stores, by sept.  i took my honey in early sept, and after that, spent the rest of the late summer treating for mites and making sure that the bottom supers were FULL for winter. 

someone else can advise on bee breed, but i'm guessing that whatever breed of bees, the management will be the same.  we just have to get ready for winter a little earlier than many others.

Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Finsky on January 28, 2007, 03:10:59 pm

Here are my particulars: short season, cold winters, mite resistance - am in Northern California,

Sounds horible place to bees  :-P

Actually all races manage well there. There are different stocks inside the race.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: mellifera on January 28, 2007, 08:40:17 pm
To KathyP,

Thanks for the advice about starting to winterize early. I have concluded that myself, but we had very hot weather right up until end of September and I was treating with Api-var (the thymol treatment), so I couldn't begin until temperatures were below 90 degrees. I think that August/early September would be the ideal time to begin treatment up here, but the weather has to cooperate - next time more diligence. I was trying to leave them alone and not bother them as much this year, but it is a difficult balance - I have to learn to read them a bit better..

I guess that I am wondering if one breed of bee would be better in a cold winter climate than the others. My neighbor has Italians and likes them. (Don't know how they did during the cold snap..)

So, "cold tolerance" and "slow learning beekeeper tolerance". Does anybody breed for that??


Let me know-

Thanks,

Mel.



Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Kirk-o on January 28, 2007, 10:03:45 pm
You Know I think the stuff people are putting in there hives to control mites are poison to bees also.You know I got tired of being like a doctor in a emergency room>Spending all my time treating mites worrying about all the poison in the hive and then expecting the bees to be healthy.I stopped purchaseing bees because they died within six months the queens I purchased did the same.I just catch swarms and use small cell
screened bottom boards.You have a great opertunity to start with some bees and use small cell foundation and try a organic approach it couldn't be any less successful.All
my hives are feral no treatments of any kind they will survive and hopefully learn to live with the mites.I have a great time beekeeping now because I don't spend all my time
being a Emergency Medical Technition  to my beehives .I went to Michael Bush"s web site and read everything on it and a feww other web sites like this one and discovered
organic beekeeping and I'm haveing more success than I ever had (by a long ways) when I treated my hives .go read mike bush's web site you we be glad you did I'am
kirk-o
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Kathyp on January 28, 2007, 10:37:26 pm
if "organic" beekeeping were effective, the commercial beekeepers would be all over it.  why spend the money on mite meds of you don't need to.  i am all for using the most bee and earth friendly methods available, but not treating for a recognized hive killer, is foolish.  a huge amount of time and money are being spent on breeding resistant bees, and finding better ways to treat for mites.  among those methods, 'not treating' is not to be found.

as for breed....many people say the Russians are good for cold areas.  that's what i got last year (my first).  they did very well. they fly at low temps and keep things very clean.  however, they must have requeened because i now have a mix in the hive.  i know i had more than one queen in there at one point.

is there anyone in your area that can give you some ideas?  maybe a local club or bee supply place?

Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Michael Bush on January 28, 2007, 11:29:03 pm
>if "organic" beekeeping were effective, the commercial beekeepers would be all over it.

You would think so.  A few of them are.

>  why spend the money on mite meds of you don't need to.

That's what I keep asking.

I don't use any, and for most of 32 years have not used any.  I did use some for Varroa for three years while figuring out how to keep the alive through that.  Now I'm back to using nothing.  It's much easier.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beespests.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnaturalcell.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfoundationless.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm



Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Kathyp on January 29, 2007, 02:14:36 pm
MB, i understand your position or organic.  you have the experience and knowledge to experiment, and hopefully know if you get into trouble.

when someone is just starting out, and spending a lot of money doing it, they probably don't want to dump all the effort and money down the drain.

your methods work for you.  i think that's great.  i may even try some of them when i have a little more practice.  however, many of your methods are not back by research and the experience of others.

because 'organic' is such a buzz word, and 'non-organic' makes us feel guilty, i fear that some may jump on the all natural band wagon without the experience to make it work. 
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Finsky on January 29, 2007, 02:28:13 pm

>  why spend the money on mite meds of you don't need to.

That's what I keep asking.

I don't use any, and for most of 32 years have not used any. 


When biggest problem in USA is varroa, how can you deliver that knowledge?

We use in Finland chemicals and we have no mite problem. We have no winter problem either because we prepare hives for winter.

Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Finsky on January 29, 2007, 02:32:34 pm
MB, i understand your position or organic. 

Hmmmm. When I have calculated, who else has more all kinds of equipments fo beekeeping like Michael.  :-D

Michael is a technician, not a beekeeper.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Markalbob on January 29, 2007, 03:40:17 pm
FWIW, I'm not sure any part of Cali counts as "extreme" when you see postings by folks from Wyoming and Minnesota and Maine and even Alaska and Finland. 

Perhaps "frugal" bees would help, but I believe almost all the breeds do well in terms of being able to survive cold given adequate food, some just keep smaller nests and need less food through the winter.....


Then again, I'm new--maybe I'm the one missing something.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Finsky on January 29, 2007, 04:35:36 pm
Here are my particulars: short season, cold winters, mite resistance - am in Northern California, so would like to either pick up packages or have them shipped. (I started with one 3 pound package originally)

Buckfast? Hygenic? Old World Carniolian? Italian? Russian source? Nucs vs. Packages??


I have had Buckfast, Carniolans and several Italian stocks. All they manage well in South Finland. It is same longitude as Anchorage.

Italians are easy to nurse. Carniolan are bad to swarm. FUcfast, what I have had, have tendency to chalk brood.

Italains are many stocks.

I could believe that Californian area is easy place to bees. However it depends what are pastures and where you live. Are there much other beekeepers which use same pastures. 

Natural bees: In almost every country varroa have destoyed honey bees from nature.  Africanized bee is only which may control varroa. Varroa level must be very low if you want to get honey.

Natural beekeeping - ?  - If you like to step 100 years backwards. What is the purpose? - I cannot see it. I want to learn new things. I do not want to learn out of date things.  I am not a museum keeper.
.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: mellifera on January 30, 2007, 03:59:43 am
Hello All,

Thanks for all of the posts and discussion. I have to say that where I am in California is not like being in Alaska or Montana, it is more like being in the Sierra Nevadas. Similar to Eastern Oregon, Western Nevada.. I am in USDA Zone 6. But this year was colder than the last two winters and I think that the bees suffered because of it. There was plenty of honey and ventilation. The hives were sheltered from most winds and snow didn't cover the entrances. I am one of three year round beekeepers up here and the least experienced. I do have a friend who used to keep bees professionally and she is going to go through the hives with me, so hopefully I'll be able to eliminate some things. She got out of beekeeping in the '80's and did not have to deal with mites, but knows about everything else, so it should be educational. I am also enrolling in another beekeeping class (I think that the one I took in 1998 wore off..) and will have some questions for the instructor.
I am lucky for one thing - at least the bees didn't die out after the packages had sold out..

As for Organic methods VS. traditional treatments: I am interested in a more organic approach and would like to introduce more organic and less toxic methods - and - I think that the way to go is to have healthy, strong stock, that are able to coexist with the mites. But, I think that the wellbeing of the bees is the most important thing. That's why I find the loss of these hives so disappointing.

Mel.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Finsky on January 30, 2007, 04:15:31 am
I am interested in a more organic approach and would like to introduce more organic and less toxic methods

Ok no one likes chemicals. But you have kept bees 3 years without chemicals. Have you learned something. You are going to continue same way.

Mites are not problem. I kill my first mite hive 1982.  Just now I have no problem. I have tried to teach Brittish and North American beekeepers to methods how we manage well in Europe.  But I am really frustrated the way how beekeeprs handle new information and new methods. It is not worth of bees' poo.

All kind of humbug interests new beekeepers. What ever stupid tricks some one says, others are ready to try as new method. Beekeeping is really expencive hobby as a target of humbug.  Oh boy. Continue. Life teaches. So it has teached me too.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: imabkpr on January 30, 2007, 10:23:17 am
MB, i understand your position or organic. 

Hmmmm. When I have calculated, who else has more all kinds of equipments fo beekeeping like Michael.  :-D

Michael is a technician, not a beekeeper.

finsky; Shame on you. You talk a lot about and for, research but when research is presented to you, you turn a deaf ear to it. Re; Michael Bush and his small cell honeybee colonies.
M.B. says he has no varroa mite problems since going to small cell or natural comb.

A New Zealand study says "small honeybee cells neither reduce the reproductive success or the amount of cells infested by the varroa destuctor mite".

Is it possible that small cell does not work in New Zealand?
I don't live in New Zealand so if I wanted to get into small cell regression i would certainly listen to what M B has to say. In my opinion this is the best research you can get. Someone already successful at doing the thing that you want to do.

Mr Finsky, you seem to know a lot about beekeeping in the U.S.A.  Where did you have your business here?     Charlie

 

Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Finsky on January 30, 2007, 11:13:41 am

finsky; Shame on you. You talk a lot about and for, research but when research is presented to you, you turn a deaf ear to it.

Hah hah. I need not to shame me.  :-D  I have just balls to tell.

Quote
Re; Michael Bush and his small cell honeybee colonies.
M.B. says he has no varroa mite problems since going to small cell or natural comb.

A New Zealand study says "small honeybee cells neither reduce the reproductive success or the amount of cells infested by the varroa destuctor mite".

I have either varroa problems and varroa is problem in Finland at all. It has been here 30 years and we know what to do with it. We need not commit our whole life for to bug named varroa. It is not worth that.



Quote
I don't live in New Zealand so if I wanted to get into small cell regression i would certainly listen to what M B has to say.

Of course you do it. I only tell that probably you will loose you hives.

Professional beekeeper from Cyprus Norton on British forum tells his own story:
"Just a little comment about small cell beekeeping: It doesn't seem to work. I started a trial in the summer of 2000 and lost them all after 3 years. A friend of mine risked even more and lost all his bees (about 150 hives) and his wife as she walked out on him when disaster struck and the cash ran out. Recently he was working in a factory putting electrical goods in boxes. What could he do? He had been a beekeeper all his life and wasn't trained to anything else. 
Be careful about what you read on the Internet and try to distingiush between actual facts and wishful thinking! 
Best regards 
Norton. "

Quote
In my opinion this is the best research you can get.

If you like so. Small cell guys tell stories which are very far from facts. Just dreaming.


Quote
Someone already successful at doing the thing that you want to do.


Most have not been succesfull. They do not bother write their losses and argue with nature way guys.


Quote
Mr Finsky, you seem to know a lot about beekeeping in the U.S.A. 

US is the country which makes most beekeeping researches an deliver them. Then you have hobby level which want to play with 100 years' old fashion. That hobby level has odd habit and odd losses. They just wat to do things wrong and continue their hopeless ancient line.

Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: imabkpr on January 30, 2007, 12:48:46 pm

Finsky; You didn't yet answer my question. "where was your business in the U.S.A.? Its evident you must have been here to research small cell to make statements like It don't work and that if i get into it i will loose my bees.

Have you tried small cell where you are now?

Have you tried vinegar vapor in your bee hives to kill varroa?
Just a couple of questions.  Charlie
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Finsky on January 30, 2007, 01:36:48 pm

Finsky; You didn't yet answer my question. "where was your business in the U.S.A.? Its evident you must have been here to research small cell to make statements like It don't work and that if i get into it i will loose my bees.

Let's keep it as secret.


Quote
Have you tried small cell where you are now?

I know so much beekeeping that I need not try small cells. It has no value to me.  Why USA universities do not reseach that issue? - I was answered that only africanized bees manage with mite. Africanized bees make 10% smaller combs.  All universities know that and that is why US does not research issue.  Small cell idea is over 10 years old.

Quote
Have you tried vinegar vapor in your bee hives to kill varroa?


Why should I? I have nursed bees 45 years. There is no idea to try every trick what exist in the world.  You know Benchmarking. It means that you accustome with best practices which others have invented and vdeveloped ready to use. Then you take it into your own  use.  Vinegar = acetic acid are not mentioned  in any  succesfull method list. Why I should try it?  Why should I use my money and time to find out such a thing?

I just ask: where are tests and researches how acetic acid works?  It is my job. I may tell to others that there are much more better methods to kill mites.

May I ask how many years you have nursed bees and what is you average yield?

.


Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Kathyp on January 30, 2007, 01:37:22 pm
Quote
A New Zealand study says "small honeybee cells neither reduce the reproductive success or the amount of cells infested by the varroa destuctor mite".

according to your own quote small cell does not reduce the amount of cells infested by the varroa mite.  i find no good research to support small cell.  all good studies that i have read, say that small cell does not reduce infestation.

the only research i have found that is hopeful, is breeding for resistant bees.  there is some marginal success there.

i think people ought to do what works for them, but new people need to be very careful that they do what is proven to work, before they experiment with non-proven methods.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: KONASDAD on January 30, 2007, 03:03:22 pm
One must ponder why feral bees succumbed to v.mite when they use small or natural cell size? Obviously it is not a preventative. That does not mean it has no value as an IPM however. Finsky is correct. Universities study Honey bees forever and yet no research on small cell of any magnitude. Perhaps they are investigating africanized bees to exclusion of many other research endeavors.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Jerrymac on January 30, 2007, 03:04:01 pm
My question for Finsky is this,

You have been keeping bees for 45 years. Have you not changed anything in all those years? Do you still do the exact same things as you did those first years? Is the terrarium heaters been researched at some university somewhere to prove that it does what you say it does or are we all suppose to just take your word for it? 
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Jerrymac on January 30, 2007, 03:08:27 pm
One must ponder why feral bees succumbed to v.mite when they use small or natural cell size?

As it has been pointed out many times. Not all the ferals died out. They are making a come back. The reason for the massive loss of the ferals are many and not all of them died because of mites. The ones that did were possibly escapees from domestic bees and they were not fully regressed. Ferals robbed out the failing domestic hives and carried more mites than the hive could handle back to the feral hive.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Finsky on January 30, 2007, 03:19:21 pm
My question for Finsky is this,

You have been keeping bees for 45 years. Have you not changed anything in all those years?

I am really tired to answer stupid quenstion  :-x  It is enough to me if I answer to good questions.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Jerrymac on January 30, 2007, 03:30:22 pm
I am really tired to answer stupid quenstion  :-x  It is enough to me if I answer to good questions.

Yeah its terrible when you methods are questioned
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Kathyp on January 30, 2007, 03:36:07 pm
Quote
Not all the ferals died out

valid points.  question?  are hobby bee keeper willing to allow hives to die in order to "regress" them over a period of time, or to hope that the hives will produce mite resistant bees?

a better solution, it seems to me, would be to watch research and requeen with proven mite resistant queens (when they are cost effective)  perhaps that is MB's secret?  

it would be a shame for new beekeeper to get the impression that going natural can give them mite resistance.  they will not know the difference until they find all their bees dead.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Jerrymac on January 30, 2007, 04:11:01 pm

If you look here http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm you will find he says this

"The other change I've done in my beekeeping, is to capture feral swarms and start raising queens from these. These are darker bees that seem more acclimatized to my location and have been surviving on their own with no chemicals at all. I've been raising and selling the queens."
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Kathyp on January 30, 2007, 04:33:49 pm
i have read that.  his queens are probably part of the secret to his success.  how many generations of breeding does it take to make MY hive mite resistant, providing his queens are the secret?  it certainly would not be the first generation.  i'd have to breed into my hive the mite resistance, and that would mean several generations and several generations of new queens in my own hive.....and controlling the breeding so that the queens bred with drones from mite resistance stock.  otherwise, you breed the good out of the queen instead of breeding the good into the hive.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Devbee on January 30, 2007, 05:10:10 pm
From my perspective as a new-bee, it seems like all parties in discussion here could be correct because they are speaking from their experience in their particular part of the world with their species and disposition of bees using their techniques, all of which differ from one another (slightly to greatly).

I am going to follow Michael Bush's recommendations to start with because they resound with my desire to keep bees with as little antibiotics as possible.  I realize my bees may have problems or fail, not necessarily because Mr. Bush's recommendations are bad but possibly because of other factors, like my inexperience, or the part of the world I'm in, or my bees.

However, I hope to keep learning and raise my bees as organically (naturally?) as possible.  I may need to use some treatments, and I do not close the door on that.

In short, what works for some beekeepers may not work for others because there are so many different factors, though trends can be seen which may apply to all to one degree or another (varroa mites as an example), and these are important to understand and adapt to your specific case.

Godspeed to you in your beekeeping!  My first bees are coming in 2 months and a week, and I'm excited.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Jerrymac on January 30, 2007, 05:12:55 pm
I will ask the question in the opposite direction. If all these ferals died off then how is it so many of us are catching so many ferals? (not just swarms but established hives)
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: KONASDAD on January 30, 2007, 05:27:25 pm
I will ask the question in the opposite direction. If all these ferals died off then how is it so many of us are catching so many ferals? (not just swarms but established hives)

Can't answer that one as I have only seen one feral hive of honey bees ever, in my area. They looked like Italians. That was last month when a construction crew cleared a small area w/ trees over a hundred yrs old. I have always kept flowers and gardens and have never seen a honey bee until I put out my own hives. All i ever had on my property were bumble bees and yellow jackets until now.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: TwT on January 30, 2007, 05:49:41 pm
i have read that.  his queens are probably part of the secret to his success.  how many generations of breeding does it take to make MY hive mite resistant, providing his queens are the secret?  it certainly would not be the first generation.  I'd have to breed into my hive the mite resistance, and that would mean several generations and several generations of new queens in my own hive.....and controlling the breeding so that the queens bred with drones from mite resistance stock.  otherwise, you breed the good out of the queen instead of breeding the good into the hive.


all that might not be necessary, mike probably got his queens from feral hives he captured just like me, I have feral hives that are 3 years old and I am not on small cell or do I treat them in any way, just lucky I guest, but when removing a feral hive you can tell if the hive is a old hive that has been there for quiet a few years or if it could have been a swarm that just recently moved into a old location, comb can tell a lot.... about all the hives I removed from homes are old building were all on old combs, so that means the hive hasn't been treated and still alive... just my 2 pennies worth....
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Kathyp on January 30, 2007, 06:34:44 pm
the key to success has got to be controlled breeding.  i can't do that here.  to many beekeepers around and to many other bees.  a mite resistant queen would end up being wasted.

until the breeding of mite resistant bees is perfected and wide spread.  most of us will not have the ability to keep mite resistant bees.  that's why i didn't spend the extra money on Russians this year.  my Russian hive ended up mixed by the end of one year. 
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: TwT on January 30, 2007, 07:17:18 pm
the key to success has got to be controlled breeding.  i can't do that here.  to many beekeepers around and to many other bees.  a mite resistant queen would end up being wasted.

until the breeding of mite resistant bees is perfected and wide spread.  most of us will not have the ability to keep mite resistant bees.  that's why i didn't spend the extra money on Russians this year.  my Russian hive ended up mixed by the end of one year. 

True, but you got to start some where, if no one every starts then you will never have mite resistant bee's, remember your Russian drones breed to there queens also then their half Russian queens breed to your queens ect. and after some years you might have a good chance of having good resistant bee's........ got to start somewhere or it will never happen.........
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Trot on January 30, 2007, 07:31:13 pm
Just to show that all in Scandinavia is not poison upon poison and we won't even go to the rest of Europe.
Some, of course do, cause medication is the only course they know how to turn a quick buck...

http://www.beesource.com/pov/johnsen/bcmay2005.htm
 
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: michelleb on January 30, 2007, 07:44:31 pm
My take on all this is that whether or not small cell works for Michael (or anybody), it's more urgent to genetically select for mite-resistant production queens, rather than depend upon the smaller bee/shorter development/less time for mite to develop approach.

Having said that, there needs to be a distinction between not treating colonies prophylactically (sp?) and not treating already affected colonies. Who wants their bees to go rob out an "organically" mite-infested, failing neighborhing yard, bringing back more mites than they can handle?

A beekeeper I know said just last week that nobody's yard is an isolated yard. While that may be extreme, it's something to think about. Especially for me, as I'm hoping to use my (ahem) "isolated" yard as a minimal-treatment zone.



Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: TwT on January 30, 2007, 07:51:06 pm
now if they are mite resistant bee's I wouldn't worry about the number they brought back, they should be able to control if they are really resistant, you can go out to any of my hives and see mites on the bottom boards, I know my bee's have mites but they have dealt with them so for. I had a hive 2 years ago show signs of DWV and that hive is still going, no sign of it this past year in any hives so maybe I have something worth having.....
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Michael Bush on January 30, 2007, 08:52:04 pm
"If you're not part of the genetic solution of breeding mite-tolerant bees, then you're part of the problem. Every time you allow drones or swarms to issue from a colony that owes its survival to a miticide application, you're hindering the natural process of evolution toward mite-tolerant bees."  from Breeding Mite-Fighting Bees by Randy Oliver.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: TwT on January 30, 2007, 09:04:17 pm
Hey MB, i MUST HAVE MADE A POST YOU WOULD AGREE WITH????????????????
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Jerrymac on January 30, 2007, 09:11:49 pm
TwT

I thought he was agreeing with you there.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Michael Bush on January 30, 2007, 09:48:46 pm
>Hey MB, i MUST HAVE MADE A POST YOU WOULD AGREE WITH?
>I thought he was agreeing with you there.

So did I.  I certainly wasn't DISAGREEING with you.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: TwT on January 30, 2007, 10:36:48 pm
OH i understood his post but the shock I had reading something I wrote that made since to someone else..... ;) me being a rookie I actually have learned something about bee's...... ;) to give advice!!!!   :-P and yes im on medication  :evil:         just think one day I might be a beekeeper!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: the kid on January 31, 2007, 12:47:18 am
Im with MB on this one .To my thinking if it is posion to kill mites it cant bee doing the girls alot of good eather ,,,, and if you worry about it getting in the honey .. Ill read his sites and try it .  If it helps alittle every little bit helps .   talked to TFBM last week and he used no poision for a lot of years so it must work .  it may cost about the same but I dont like my honey with a shot of poision

Now my penny is spent for the week
  the
      kid
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Brian D. Bray on February 03, 2007, 09:42:17 pm
>if "organic" beekeeping were effective, the commercial beekeepers would be all over it.

Not necessarily, the commercial beekeeper is interested in the end result. Keeping his hives alive for honey and pollenation income is the major focus.  A die off of a large portion of his stock to allow them to become reistant is economical suicide from their point of view.

When Varroa resistant stocks become abundant, then you will see the commercial beekeeper follow suit, but not until then.  He doesn't have the time or the money to dedicate to the development of resistance stocks because in order to survive economically he must get as much pollenation fees and the highest honey harvest to keep his business operating.

The development of resistant stock is going to have to be done by the hobbiest because they are the only ones who have the time and patience to sort and continually rebuild their stocks in a effort to develop resistance bees.  It took a few years before the tracheal mite became a non-issue as the bees built up resistance.  It will take longer with the Varroa mite because of its size and reproduction method.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: bmad12 on February 04, 2007, 05:59:28 pm
I know I'm probably just asking another stupid question, but what makes the bees resistant to the mites.  Do they live with them, or do they kill them on their own?  How does it work?  I don't yet have a hive, and it will probably be another year before I do, but I'd like to know as much as I can before starting out.


Thanks
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Michael Bush on February 04, 2007, 07:05:23 pm
>I know I'm probably just asking another stupid question, but what makes the bees resistant to the mites.

The scientists would like to know the answer to that question.  So far there seem to be a variety of traits that help.  The Russians seem to have the ability to tolerate a heavy mite load and live.  The Hygenic (and SMR are extra hygenic) seem to be better at discerning infested cells and chewing them out before they can reproduce (at the purple eyed pupae stage).  Grooming behavior may help.  Biting mites may help.  The bees raised on small cell seem to have the hygenic traits plus biting mites and grooming more.  I don't know why.  But mostly on natural sized cells the Bees have a shorter cycle which gives the mites a shorter cycle to reproduce in which makes a huge difference.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnaturalcell.htm

But all in all if they are feral bees surviving on natural cell already it's a pretty good bet they have the genetics to survive.  Personally, I have not seen large cell bees survive more than two years without treatment.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: bmad12 on February 04, 2007, 10:28:43 pm
How common are mites?  Is it pretty much a guarentee that your hive will encounter these pests?  or is it a location thing?  Do they affect other thing, other than the bees?  Honey, wax, etc?  And, how do the mites make it into the hive, where do they come from?  Do they hitch a ride on the bees or crawl in? 

I live in Florida, in the Tampa Bay area, North Port to be exact.  We are planning to move back to North Carolina at the end of this year.  We'll be living in the north east corner of NC, in Moyock, 5 minutes from the Virgina line.  I know this is off the subject, but I'm really itching to get into beekeeping.  And the more I read here the more I don't want to wait.  My plan was to wait the year out and get into it sometime next year after we move.  I guess what I'm getting at  is, would it be possible to get into it while I'm here, and then possibly move the hive with us when we move.  I have nothing now, so I guess something else to look at would be, if I was able to go ahead and start, would there be time for me get ALL (and I do mean all) my equipment together?  And of coarse, is there anyone, or a group/club in my area to help me out?  Thanks for putting up with all my questions.

Ben
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Brian D. Bray on February 05, 2007, 07:01:14 pm
Moving hives is not a difficult thing.  Commercial beekeepers often move their hives from Minnesota to California and back again in the same year.  Some make even longer moves.  Personally I've moved my hives numerous times as I've changed residences.
As long as the entrances are closed with a porous object (folded window screen) and the boxes are well secured they can be moved with ease.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: buzzbee on February 05, 2007, 07:14:51 pm
We're all here to help and ask advice if needed. I've learned a lot here and hope to learn a lot more.
Title: Re: Starting Over Advice Needed
Post by: Michael Bush on February 05, 2007, 08:19:36 pm
>How common are mites?

Endemic.

> Is it pretty much a guarentee that your hive will encounter these pests?

Yes!

>  or is it a location thing?

No.

>  Do they affect other thing, other than the bees?

Bumble bees.

> Honey, wax, etc?

No.

>  And, how do the mites make it into the hive, where do they come from?  Do they hitch a ride on the bees

Yes.

> or crawl in?

No.