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Post by Thom on Jun 19, 2008 11:20:03 GMT -7
Back up to Unjeff's comment, I went back and checked and antibiotics are no longer allowed for brood diseases.
However they now allow plastic foundation as along as it is covered with organic was and contained in a wooden frame.
They also do not allow depopulation as an acceptable practice. I guess they favor honey bees spreading disease and prolonged deaths after people treat them with notions, potions, fairy dust and folk songs.
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Post by liz on Jun 19, 2008 13:21:10 GMT -7
As a hobbyist with only 2 hives, dusting with powdered sugar is not a big deal. I just do it when I am checking them. I do admit I probably don't do it as often as I should - only about 4-5 times this year. And I have seen bees with deformed wings. But far fewer this year than last. We're talking a few bees not dozens. And this is only my second Spring so I hope this will continue to work. So I accept there will be some mites. It's about mite control not eradication. Right?
And I also haven't requeened. One of my hives has made it through two winters just fine. And the other made it through last winter even though it had a nasty chemical die-off in September and struggled with dampness. Now getting honey off them - that's another story.
Does anyone know how often to dust with powdered sugar? Monthly? Weekly?
Liz
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Post by rbees on Jun 19, 2008 13:23:16 GMT -7
Back up to Unjeff's comment, I went back and checked and antibiotics are no longer allowed for brood diseases. However they now allow plastic foundation as along as it is covered with organic was and contained in a wooden frame. They also do not allow depopulation as an acceptable practice. I guess they favor honey bees spreading disease and prolonged deaths after people treat them with notions, potions, fairy dust and folk songs. Just curious...How are they going to determine if the hives were depopulated? |
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Post by Thom on Jun 20, 2008 9:09:46 GMT -7
Or if the bees depopulated themselves because of all the bad folk music.
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Post by rbees on Jun 20, 2008 9:22:55 GMT -7
Or if the bees depopulated themselves because of all the bad folk music. Point "bee"-ing they'll never know. Besides, what logical explaination is there that depopulation will somehow disqualify your honey frpm "organic" status? |
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Post by Thom on Jun 21, 2008 6:01:18 GMT -7
It's probably the vegan influence, and they don't like beekeepers.
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Post by rbees on Jun 21, 2008 12:03:28 GMT -7
It's probably the vegan influence, . Yup..No logic reason.... |
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Post by JBJ on Sept 5, 2008 11:32:26 GMT -7
While depopulating may make economic sense in some circles, there is a lot of $$ to be made in February for strong overwintered hives for almond and other spring pollination. Plus I think developing local sustainable populations of pollinators sells well. Sustainability sells, especially with all the media attention bees get these days.
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Post by JBJ on Sept 5, 2008 11:55:04 GMT -7
"Does anyone know how often to dust with powdered sugar? Monthly? Weekly?
Liz"
Since dusting will only deal with the phoretic mites I would dust at least twice weekly for at least 4 weeks, that way one can get the mites that emerge between treatments and span both worker and drone brood cycles. Worker brood cycle is 21 days and the drone brood cycle is 24. The goal is to knock of the freshly emerged Varroa before they can enter a cell to start their cycle over again. A break in the brood cycle should theoretically make dusting more effective if you do it when all brood is emerged thus forcing all mites to be phoretic at the time of treatment.
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Post by LaurieB on Sept 7, 2008 9:50:14 GMT -7
I agree with John on the economics of depopulation in some circles, but in the face of such massive die-offs as we have seen in the last couple of years, isn't there a certain level of risk. Genetically speaking, the bees of today, bred for desirable traits, are not the bees of ten years ago. But at what point does breeding for specific traits cross that magic line and result in something undesirable, something weak.
The other thing I haven't heard anyone mention, is the correlation between disease and over population. This basic of stock dynamics cannot be ignored. I have heard one very successful keeper in Texas never keeps more than 15 hives in an apiary and puts 8 miles between his apiaries. Perhaps we need to be more conscientious (sp?) of how many hives we keep in proximity.
In an age where we are fighting chemical companies advertising directly to the public, depopulation is a poor argument for those fighting the indiscriminate use of pesticides. If we, as beekeepers, don't show how invaluable the bees are, what makes us think anyone else will. We need advocacy to get money and support for bee research. Not people assuming that we think bees are pests as well. Regardless of their status as an insect, I personally cannot look at bees as just a commodity, nor honey as just a cash crop. Pollination, even if by a non-native such as the honey bee, has to be valued in a country where the farmer and farmland are equally seen as dispensable.
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