I'll kick this off with Chris's post.

[humphreys941]

Hi My name is Chris.
I'm the Chair of Lancaster beekeepers. I have been keeping bees now for 5 years, 2023 will be the 6th.
I have been a treatment free keeper from the start. I know, this can be a decisive subject, but I believe The bees and mother nature will sort this problem out themselves.
Just look at Apis cerana the Asian honey bee. It has adapted to living with, tolerates and managing Varroa levels it's self. Yes it's taken a long time, but Mother nature knows best!!!!
I don't claim to have Varroa free or Varroa tolerant bees, But the numbers speak for themselves.
I now have 28 colony's and to date have only lost 4 over the 5 years. None to Varroa.
One to Nosema Or Dysentery.
Two colony's were to small going into winter. ( I should have united them.)
And one colony I keep in an ASH log, died through being honey bound. I leave my log hive to get on with life and do not interfere unless like this one it showed signs of a problem. I have 4 log colony's, the other 3 are doing well.
I do have a IMP (Integrated Management plan) to deal with Varroa. but to date have not had a reason to imperilment it.
I have well kept record for all my colony's, showing the time line for each, as I feel it is very important to be able to look back at each colony for data.
Any way that me.
I look forwards to many a chat with the bee community out there.
Chris
Only time will tell.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Welcome Chris
There are a few treatment free beekeepers to swap notes with here. Notably @pargyle who is one of the moderators.

 

[Erichalfbee]

.

 

[enrico]

I vote for the full stop

 

[Erichalfbee]

I vote for the full stop

I had to open the thread with something.....I'll change it

 

[enrico]

Now I vote for the bee

 

[Newbeeneil]

I've got a feeling of deja vu here.............

 

[JamezF]

I've got a feeling of deja vu here.............

I'm sure I've had that before.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well I thought you all deserved a second chance….. but my heads in the block over this.

 

[rolande]

And one colony I keep in an ASH log, died through being honey bound.

Amazing. Just proves that nature doesn't select for highly productive colonies.

 

[Steve at Westerham Beeks]

Hi My name is Chris.
I'm the Chair of Lancaster beekeepers. I have been keeping bees now for 5 years, 2023 will be the 6th.
I have been a treatment free keeper from the start. I know, this can be a decisive subject, but I believe The bees and mother nature will sort this problem out themselves.
Just look at Apis cerana the Asian honey bee. It has adapted to living with, tolerates and managing Varroa levels it's self. Yes it's taken a long time, but Mother nature knows best!!!!
I don't claim to have Varroa free or Varroa tolerant bees, But the numbers speak for themselves.
I now have 28 colony's and to date have only lost 4 over the 5 years. None to Varroa.
One to Nosema Or Dysentery.
Two colony's were to small going into winter. ( I should have united them.)
And one colony I keep in an ASH log, died through being honey bound. I leave my log hive to get on with life and do not interfere unless like this one it showed signs of a problem. I have 4 log colony's, the other 3 are doing well.
I do have a IMP (Integrated Management plan) to deal with Varroa. but to date have not had a reason to imperilment it.
I have well kept record for all my colony's, showing the time line for each, as I feel it is very important to be able to look back at each colony for data.
Any way that me.
I look forwards to many a chat with the bee community out there.
Chris
Only time will tell.

Hi Chris
Congratulations on your success. Where did you source your starter colonies - are there unmanaged / wild bees in the area? And how did you increase up to 28?
Steve

 

[enrico]

Well I thought you all deserved a second chance….. but my heads in the block over this.

why? you dealt with it admirably as usual xx

 

[Bazzer]

Welcome Chris
There are a few treatment free beekeepers to swap notes with here. Notably @pargyle who is one of the moderators.

I am one of those treatment free beekeeeper - I have over 35 colonies and have built them up from a swarm that occupied an empty hive in my garage in Glasgow in 2002. I subsequenty moved to a rural area close to Loch Lomond and started to expand from a steady-state of 3 from around 2014

 

[Erichalfbee]

I am one of those treatment free beekeeeper - I have over 35 colonies and have built them up from a swarm that occupied an empty hive in my garage in Glasgow in 2002. I subsequenty moved to a rural area close to Loch Lomond and started to expand from a steady-state of 3 from around 2014

What IPM do you use?

 

[wightbees]

I had been watching a wild colony in a roof locally to me. They did manage about 7 years. But there is no sign of them now. Not sure if they got removed or died ??

 

[Antipodes]

There is some interesting and rapid evolutionary stuff going on here which is surprising a few people. It was just on the news locally a few days ago and there may be more recent science on it.

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-...rs-spur-tasmanian-devil-evolution-study-68899

 

[Erichalfbee]

To sum up

In the meantime, Jones says, the results indicate that the devil will recover all on its own. “It’s got enough standing genetic variation to adapt, so we don’t need to wait for new mutations” she says. “The devil is going to live with [DFTD]. It’s not going to become extinct.”

Interesting to read that the scientists have realised that reintroducing the Devils from the breeding programme that was built on saving them will dilute the resistance.

Rings a bell.

 

[user 20297]

To sum up

In the meantime, Jones says, the results indicate that the devil will recover all on its own. “It’s got enough standing genetic variation to adapt, so we don’t need to wait for new mutations” she says. “The devil is going to live with [DFTD]. It’s not going to become extinct.”

Interesting to read that the scientists have realised that reintroducing the Devils from the breeding programme that was built on saving them will dilute the resistance.

Rings a bell.

Yes. It's as @Beesnaturally is always telling us; whatever the mechanisms might be that are involved, some animals are surviving the disease without human intervention. If allowed to mix with the surviving populations, those animals that have been shielded from its worst effects may undo Nature's "work"
.......bells clattering as if for a coronation ceremony.

 

[Erichalfbee]

We don't need to "save the bees" this way so it's optional
But I better stop there....this section is for beekeepers to discuss their ways of not treating, not why they shouldn't.
Nature, as they say, always finds a way

 

[user 20297]

But we don't need to "save the bees" this way so it's optional

That's a given, (unless you're @Beesnaturally). But the observations support what is often denied here or for which evidence is demanded....that the evolution of resistance to disease can be swift.
However, this instance of observed resistance does not have as its target an insect, that is used in a domesticated manner nor does it, (to the best of my knowledge), involve a parasitic mite.