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Author Topic: living with the Varroa Mite  (Read 8498 times)

Offline Finski

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Re: living with the Varroa Mite
« Reply #20 on: November 29, 2012, 10:24:37 am »
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You may find from USA list of mite resistant queen breeders but from Canada I cannot find it.

In Canada there is a list of breeders who partisipate in mite resistant bee breeding program 2012. You see their compenies in list.

http://www.ontariobee.com/index.php?action=display&cat=59

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Language barrier NOT included

Offline Finski

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Re: living with the Varroa Mite
« Reply #21 on: November 29, 2012, 10:34:23 am »
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Russian bees in Canada

Russian bees have been in Canada since year 2000, 12 years. I cannot find any report, how they are going in Canada.

80% of Canadian beekeepers are professionals.

As you see, professionasl are not on forums to tell to  others their secrets. But it seems that Russian bee have not been a succes in Canada.
It has odd habits.

I googled internet but I cannot find where to find anti varroa bee queens.

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Language barrier NOT included

Offline BMAC

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Re: living with the Varroa Mite
« Reply #22 on: November 29, 2012, 12:18:27 pm »
I bet you can find a 5 mi piece of land that has never been treated with chemicals in the USA.

 Can bees live on it  all year long ???


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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: living with the Varroa Mite
« Reply #23 on: November 29, 2012, 12:36:30 pm »
From my experience and the people I talk to, it seems that not treating is succeeding better than treating throughout the country.  I never had luck with either (all of them died either way) until I changed to natural cell size and small cell size.  I'm all for breeding bees that can survive and thrive without treatments, but first I needed bees that could survive at all...

No I don't see a problem keeping a few hives of treatment free bees on 1/4 acre (or 8,000 acres, as it's the same thing to the bees)
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
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Offline Beregondo

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Re: living with the Varroa Mite
« Reply #24 on: December 08, 2012, 07:48:54 pm »
Glock,

Greetings from just across the border. ( I live in Elmira, NY, right on the PA border)
I believe I share substantially the same conditions you do in NEPA.

You can certainly keep bees without treatment here.
While some old men here don't seem able to decide whether it is better to believe research papers or experience, I just believe what I am observing.
you can succeed at being treatment free, but you will need to pay attention to both colony health and genetics.

I know it's true because I am doing it.

Of the three strains of bees I keep, all are very aggressive groomers.
The guard bees at the entrance sometimes groom returning foragers to prevent mite introduction so aggressively that at times it almost looks like they are fighting a robber to someone unfamiliar with their behavior.

Keeping colonies a little on the crowded side and having bees that aren't in a hurry to swarm at the drop of a hat ensures not only that most mites are  groomed from sister bees efficiently, but also that the comb is well covered and they have no refuge from being found and attacked.

Keeping the hive well fed and busy promotes not only these densities on comb, but resistance to disease. (It's my opinion that parasites tend to attack sick/weak hosts first.)

No strain of bee, and no genetics are a silver bullet that will keep bees from dying of varroa if they are not properly cared for, though.
But healthy bees that are aggressive to varroa, and a strain that gets after 'em when they show up can succeed and thrive treatment-free.

The strains of bees I am using and where I got them are:

Local feral bees-
gathered from the wall of an abandoned house that had been continuously inhabited by  bees for several years.

Hybrid 410-
From Kale Luce at Russell Apiaries New York russellapiariesny.com

Northern Select Sunkist-
From Jason Varner at Russell Apiaries Pennsylvania russellapiariespa.com

Both of these men were quick to respond to communication and gave excellent customer service.

I suspect a fair amount of the success of all three strains of bees I am using derives from the fact that they are locally produced in our region.
Not only is their behavior in synch with our conditions, but in  the case of bees I bought and had shipped to me, transit time was very short and so the queens' health was not subjected to the stress of a longer trip.

I know some might cite scientific papers or failures of others far from us;
all I know is what I am experiencing in the climate and flow conditions we both share.

You're welcome to pm me if you have any questions.



Offline luvin honey

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Re: living with the Varroa Mite
« Reply #25 on: December 10, 2012, 10:31:54 pm »
My bees overwintered last winter, and I saw varroa mites all over their entrances this spring. I didn't do any sort of treatment, they thrived through the summer and I saw no evidence of mites on them in summer or fall.
The pedigree of honey
Does not concern the bee;
A clover, any time, to him
Is aristocracy.
---Emily Dickinson

Offline Jim134

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Re: living with the Varroa Mite
« Reply #26 on: December 11, 2012, 04:55:50 am »
 GLOCK .......
Some thing for you to think about (32.00 to 35.00)
Mel Disselkoen speaks on OTS Queen Rearing and Miticide-free beekeeping



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Offline GLOCK

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Re: living with the Varroa Mite
« Reply #27 on: December 12, 2012, 09:27:55 am »
Best info i've got of this forum  to date.
It's nice when beekeepers give useable  answers and not just sarcasm.
One thing i've learned in my 4 years of beekeeping  beekeepers are not easys people to get along with .
Some are just grumpy old men that think everyone one is wasting there time  when we ask questions .
I know one day i'll get where i want to be with my  bee's and when i know what i'm doing
{and i will} i will allways help a new beekeeper  and never treat them like there stupid.

And JIM 12345
I had made queens this year {5} And i know about the noching thing but this past year i was building numbers this spring i will be working on makeing better bees.I did learn  a couple of things off that video the swarming thing was a big help  i watched  the whole thing and it was worth it thank you. good reply
Say hello to the bad guy.
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Offline RHBee

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Re: living with the Varroa Mite
« Reply #28 on: December 15, 2012, 03:49:49 am »
Later,
Ray