Developing varroa resistant bees

[Earthboy]

https://www.beelistener.co.uk/beekeeping/developing-varroa-resistant-bees-steve-rileys-guest-blog/
Thought the following conclusion for the above article could appear again:

"Background adaption to varroa, aided by some natural selection from long standing feral or unmanaged colonies, has occurred in the almost 30 years since varroa arrived in the UK. We strongly suspect that varroa resistance is more widely spread than in our heavily populated area of the south-east of England. Just needs us beekeepers to start looking…… "

Comments anyone, especially about the location other than its close proximity to the continent and associated human activities with it?

 

[Finman]

Steve Riley could show some statistical evidence about his varroa resistant bees.

Where are the graphs from his hives?

 

[Earthboy]

Feral bees in deep doo doo; in violation of all that "bee experts know" : no bottom board, no entrance reducer, no deep, no QE, no super, no inner cover, no nothing, but a crown board and a wall. Untamed as they can bee in the open. But doing just fine, thank you. How dare they?

 

[CaptainCymru]

View attachment 25072

Feral bees in deep doo doo; in violation of all that "bee experts know" : no bottom board, no entrance reducer, no deep, no QE, no super, no inner cover, no nothing, but a crown board and a wall. Untamed as they can bee in the open. But doing just fine, thank you. How dare they?

Cool bananas , what was the air temp at time of this photo?

 

[Ian123]

View attachment 25072

Feral bees in deep doo doo; in violation of all that "bee experts know" : no bottom board, no entrance reducer, no deep, no QE, no super, no inner cover, no nothing, but a crown board and a wall. Untamed as they can bee in the open. But doing just fine, thank you. How dare they?

They do just fine there’s AHB in your area.

 

[Finman]

Feral bees in deep doo doo; in violation of all that "bee experts know" : no bottom board, no entrance reducer, no deep, no QE, no super, no inner cover, no nothing, but a crown board and a wall. Untamed as they can bee in the open. But doing just fine, thank you. How dare they?

Feral bees live very short life. At least varroa kills them if not something else.

In open space the colony looses all its energy to air, and then the food stores are finish.

Basic idea in life style of Apis mellifera is to live in a wooden cavity.

Other Apis species have the nest in open air. Colonies migrate from district to district to avoid for example Monsun rains.

Apis cerana makes mostly their hives in open air.

 

[Earthboy]

Cool bananas , what was the air temp at time of this photo?

It was around May, the temp being around in the mid 70's, but invariably there are few surviving winter in the open, especially further south from me. They are easy to be killed just as they are resilent as hell, given chance.

 

[Earthboy]

Feral bees live very short life. At least varroa kills them if not something else.

In open space the colony looses all its energy to air, and then the food stores are finish.

Basic idea in life style of Apis mellifera is to live in a wooden cavity.

Other Apis species have the nest in open air. Colonies migrate from district to district to avoid for example Monsun rains.

Apis cerana makes mostly their hives in open air.

That's what the experts say but there seem to be exceptions. In fact, all the questions in beekeeping can be simply answered: "It depends."

 

[Finman]

That's what the experts say but there seem to be exceptions. In fact, all the questions in beekeeping can be simply answered: "It depends."

Yeah. There are exception, because one hive dies, and another swarm occupy the hole that will continue decades.

I wonder, who are those experts and where?

Forums are full of stories how hobby beekeepers keep mite tolerant bees. Why they are not delivered around the USA.

Why summer death rate is 20% by varroa, and you have varroa resistant bees in USA.

 

[bazdmoore]

Yeah. There are exception, because one hive dies, and another swarm occupy the hole that will continue decades.

I wonder, who are those experts and where?

Forums are full of stories how hobby beekeepers keep mite tolerant bees. Why they are not delivered around the USA.

Why summer death rate is 20% by varroa, and you have varroa resistant bees in USA.

What is the typical number of mites per hundred bees for your colonies in spring, summer , autumn?

 

[Erichalfbee]

What is the typical number of mites per hundred bees for your colonies in spring, summer , autumn?

Finnie won't be counting

 

[Finman]

What is the typical number of mites per hundred bees for your colonies in spring, summer , autumn?

I do not count them, as Halfbee told.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Life's too short

 

[bazdmoore]

I do not count them, as Halfbee told.

So how do you know if you NEED to treat them? This is like a doctor prescribing antibiotics to every patient regardless of whether they have a bacterial or viral infection. Most of my colonies now do not need treating and the percentages increase as I select for those that don't.

 

[Murox]

Don't know what Finman does but I just do a sugar roll, if there is a lot they get treated (vaporisation) , if a few they get another sugar roll later on to check. I don't count them either, I'm really not into that degree of micromanagement.

 

[Erichalfbee]

So how do you know if you NEED to treat them?

Sugar roll or alcohol wash are the accepted methods.
If you do treat then an accelerated drop is a good way too

 

[Finman]

So how do you know if you NEED to treat them? This is like a doctor prescribing antibiotics to every patient regardless of whether they have a bacterial or viral infection. Most of my colonies now do not need treating and the percentages increase as I select for those that don't.

Every colony needs varroa treament. So simple. If you have 10 mites in February, you will have 1000 in September and 2000 in October.

I do not want to debate with you. I treated my first mite hive 1987.

 

[mbc]

Anyone tried the co2 varroa testers?
https://www.cwynnejones.com/home/880-varroa-tester.html

 

[bazdmoore]

Anyone tried the co2 varroa testers?
https://www.cwynnejones.com/home/880-varroa-tester.html

Made my own one - can get a CO2 bike tyre inflator and joined two screw top plastic jars together across OMF mesh

 

[Erichalfbee]

Anyone tried the co2 varroa testers?
https://www.cwynnejones.com/home/880-varroa-tester.html

Oooo looks good.
Another gadget ..... sigh