Kia Ora from Latvia

[KiwiLad]

I'm a Kiwi who kept bees in another lifetime (the 1970s), before we had Varroa and other such complications.

I'm now living in semi-urban Latvia and have just re-started with my first hive. I've chosen the Danish-made polystyrene Langstroth so (a) I can have confidence about surviving the Winter here (totally different from NZ!), and (b) to fit the new Aussie FlowTM frames.

Still on a re-learning curve, but am pleased with how much has not been totally forgotten. Had some fun trying to source LS frames locally -- Latvian beekeepers use a Dadant variation -- until I discovered LS is the norm in neighbouring Estonia.

Now busy trying to ensure my Carniolans build a strong healthy colony for the Winter, although I anticipate having to feed them through. Fingers crossed!

Greg

 

[B+.]

the new Aussie Flow frames.

I can't believe you mentioned the F-word

 

[KiwiLad]

Having seen the entertaining, yet informing, mixture of ignorant vitriol and genuine interest on the BeeSource forum thread on the FlowTM Hive, I'm not surprised it sparks a reaction elsewhere.

Despite my thoughts on their pricing strategies, I'm looking forward to using it as I think it will meet my needs very well. Equally, there will be plenty of beekeepers for whom it is of no interest.

Belonging, as we do, to the global community of dedicated bee friends, I am sure we can successfully live and let live.

 

[itma]

I'm a Kiwi who kept bees in another lifetime (the 1970s), before we had Varroa and other such complications.

I'm now living in semi-urban Latvia and have just re-started with my first hive. I've chosen the Danish-made polystyrene Langstroth so (a) I can have confidence about surviving the Winter here (totally different from NZ!), and (b) to fit the new Aussie FlowTM frames.

Still on a re-learning curve, but am pleased with how much has not been totally forgotten. Had some fun trying to source LS frames locally -- Latvian beekeepers use a Dadant variation -- until I discovered LS is the norm in neighbouring Estonia.

Now busy trying to ensure my Carniolans build a strong healthy colony for the Winter, although I anticipate having to feed them through. Fingers crossed!

Greg

Welcome to the forum.

Varroa is something that you'll need to do some learning on.
The UK official advice is a pretty good primer, though they can't officially endorse non-approved treatments, even if they are effective (like Oxalic Acid).
It (and other useful documents) can be found via the links here => http://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=21261

Langstroth. Despite being "the world's most popular" the lack of standardisation of depths and names is quite a shock. Good luck!

You may notice that we have a prototype Nokia chatbot on the forum. Its advice may be more relevant to your seasonal conditions than British ones.

If worried about falling short on pre-winter stores, feeding purpose-made bee syrup can be worthwhile. Being less watery than sucrose syrup and ready-inverted, the bees can take and store it prodigiously quickly - just as long as they have drawn comb to put it into. Hence it can be given later (and in colder conditions) than sucrose syrup. Ambrosia is the best-known brand name.
I wouldn't expect your bees to be in a position to do much midwinter snacking on fondant/candy, or to be keen to break cluster at all to get it. Much better to have them lay down stores before winter than think that you can just add fondant if needed. (We can, but our Winters aren't really like Baltic winters ...)

Welcome!

 

[KiwiLad]

Thanks for the warm welcome. Albeit from a distance, I followed the appearance of Varroa in NZ. Our Min of Ag published a good guide to treatment options, which I'm studying. I'm also guided by Randy Oliver at www.scientificbeekeeping.com, who's done some comprehensive testing of a number of options and products.

Thanks too for the tip about inverted syrup. The whole cold winter management process is new to me, of course. I never fed at any time in Auckland's balmy climate! I'll check out the Nokia chatbot too.

 

[itma]

Thanks for the warm welcome. Albeit from a distance, I followed the appearance of Varroa in NZ. Our Min of Ag published a good guide to treatment options, which I'm studying. I'm also guided by Randy Oliver at www.scientificbeekeeping.com, who's done some comprehensive testing of a number of options and products. ...

Treatment ideas have evolved considerably since varroa first appeared here. Don't stick to a single 'bible' and always check the revision date!
The best practice is to have an "Integrated Pest Management System". But all that IPM really means is treating when necessary, with an appropriate method, and having a variety of different weapons in your armoury rather than looking for a single 'magic bullet'. What you use within your own IPM repertoire probably matters less than the basic principles of variety and appropriateness.

There is an interaction between season and treatment options. Hence what is 'best' in one locale may be either less practical or less effective elsewhere.
The USA is generally not a good guide to best beekeeping practice. They still use vast quantities of pesticide miticides, despite varroa becoming resistant to them.
Randy Oliver tries to be objective, but he is 'coming from a very different place' and sometimes misses important points.

For the varroa newcomer, I'd strongly suggest treating in Autumn with a Thymol-based product and while broodless mid-winter with Oxalic (dribbled or vaporised, depending on your access to equipment).
And, for the varroa newcomer, my suggestion is to do those treatments regardless, but monitor and be ready to do more if you should spot a problem between those times. That's a prudent scheme, that you should only depart from once you get a feel for how believable the monitoring in your particular apiary turns out to be (yes, it varies!)