Price of varroa treatment

[Finman]

You missed commenting on the important bit in my sentence.

You continually tell us that you take ALL the honey off your hives because 'Sugar is cheaper than honey'.

Is it any wonder that your bees are not healthy and need varroa treatment ?

How much you got honey this summer from your "healthy hives"?


Pargyle, you do not understand that sugar or honey give only energy to bees. Everything else as a nutrition comes from pollen.

I use 3 brood boxes where bees can store a good amount of pollen into lowest box during main flow.
You know, I have studied biochemistry in university and I know what I am talking.

Look from wikipedia if you do not know what is plant physiology or biochemistry.

If you look the data, what chemicals honey has, it is almost sugar and water. Sivilize yourself, you adult . You are still able to learn something real knowledge. I hope. But Matthew 2:26 is good too.


But first Pargyle, read about honeybee nutrition. It was published in German university in year 1953.

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[pargyle]

How many times a month do you inspect them or do you have others to do this for you

A month ? Probably better asking how many times a year ... even then you won't get a sensible answer ...

Beekeeping ... but not as we know it ! Beam me up Finnie ...

 

[Finman]

A month ? Probably better asking how many times a year ... even then you won't get a sensible answer ...

Beekeeping ... but not as we know it ! Beam me up Finnie ...

Beam me, how much you harvested honey from your hives this year?
6 hives. ....

I got from 4 hives 400 kg.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

How much you got honey this summer from your "healthy hives"?


Pargyle, you do not understand that sugar or honey give only energy to bees. Everything else as a nutrition comes from pollen.

I use 3 brood boxes where bees can store a good amount of pollen into lowest box during main flow.
You know, I have studied biochemistry in university and I know what I am talking.

Look from wikipedia if you do not know what is plant physiology or biochemistry.

If you look the data, what chemicals honey has, it is almost sugar and water. Sivilize yourself, you adult . You are still able to learn something real knowledge. I hope. But Matthew 2:26 is good too.


But first Pargyle, read about honeybee nutrition. It was published in German university in year 1953.

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Hmm, I remember some 'expert' ranting on and on on here about only a fool depends on data more than a few years old

 

[Finman]

Hmm, I remember some 'expert' ranting on and on on here about only a fool depends on data more than a few years old

You just find better data. I send to you £1000.

Few years old ? A person must have bad dementia if he does not remember older things.


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[pargyle]

Beam me, how much you harvested honey from your hives this year?
6 hives. ....

I got from 4 hives 400 kg.

Enough ... we've played this game many times in the past .. we operate at different ends of the beekeeping spectrum and whilst it is, occasionally, entertaining to challenge your perspective on beekeeping .. Enough is enough.

 

[Finman]

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Tupla

 

[Finman]

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How many kilos is enough? I could take a Matthew 2:26 target from that, and make honey a little bit less. The rest I would donate to poor families and to their horses.

 

[buzzer2015]

There are several on here that do not treat automatically and I know of several in my area that are non-treaters .. one association member has been treatment free for over 7 years .. his winter colony losses are no greater or less than people in the same area that treat in a conventional way - and he has over 30 colonies and gathers a healthy honey crop.

But ... you have to be vigilant .. it's not as Finman would have it - 'Let Alone Beekeeping' .. if I saw signs of disease or lethargy and could attribute that to a heavy infestation of varroa then I would treat .. and my preferred treatment would be OA Sublimation. So far, my bees cope with varroa .. but I don't just rely on counting mites on the inspection floor .. I uncap drone cells and this year I have been doing sugar rolls (I have done alcohol washes in the past but I really don't like killing bees unnecessarily). The levels of varroa are very low in my colonies and for that reason I don't treat. It's not an easy option but don't believe all the tripe that's spouted about 'Your bees will die' .. they may die but that's a risk all beekeepers face .. the key in being treatment free is to know your bees and if you notice anything uncharacteristic then it's time to look further ...

There are other factors in my beekeeping that may or may not have a bearing on their ability to survive... I'm foundationless, I tend not to feed as long as my bees can find suffiicient forage to survive without feeding, I leave enough honey for them to overwinter on their honey stores and my hives are heavily insulated. I think the area in which the hives are situated also has a bearing on colony health ... and the strain of bees (most of mine originated from what I believe was a feral swarm that, for the first year and well into the second, were completely varroa free ...they are very sturdy, local, bees that fly in all weathers - I've never seen any brood disease (and yes Finnie - I do know what it looks like !).

And .. the biggest factor .. a large slice of luck.

So please don't think that 'not treating' is as simple as just 'not treating' ...

And lastly ..until you know enough about beekeeping to be confident that you can identify problems that may be varroa related ... it's safer to treat.

What about nucs on 3-4 frames, would you still not treat going into winter with this amount of bees.

 

[B+.]

What about nucs on 3-4 frames, would you still not treat going into winter with this amount of bees.

It isn't a matter of how many bees there are. Its a matter of not having conducted any test to see if they exhibit any hygeinic behaviour

 

[user 6228]

Enough ... we've played this game many times in the past ...

 

[Finman]

Enough ... we've played this game many times in the past .. .

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Remember that you have nursed hives only 2 years. But you have written 6000 letters to forum. Quite a bible as a book.

That is your " past!"


I have 34 years experience about varroa. You have not at all, but you give always avices how to do nothing with varroa. Shame on you!.

 

[pargyle]

You have not at all, but you give always avices how to do nothing with varroa. Shame on you!.

Actually, if you took the time to READ my posts I do NOT advise new beekeepers not to treat .. indeed, most of the time I tell people NOT to follow in my treatment free footsteps. All I do is report on what I do and what the results are ... people are free to make up their own mind about what they do - unlike you who's bombastic rants (often just nonsense) insist that there is no other way but YOUR'S.

Despite your 15000 Posts on here perhaps you could tell us why you have been banned from every other beekeeping forum on the planet ?

 

[Finman]

A


Despite your 15000 Posts on here perhaps you could tell us why you have been banned from every other beekeeping forum on the planet ?

Nothing bad in banning. Once I told that Santa does not exist. They banned me.

Once I told that bees do not indentify their master. One guy promised to tell about me to Santa.

I tell, if you tell why your 58 girl friends have left you (banned)

 

[pargyle]

What about nucs on 3-4 frames, would you still not treat going into winter with this amount of bees.

Like I said (and B+ has also said) it's not the size of the colony that is important .. I have a Nuc going into Winter that is healthy and pretty much free of varroa and I'm not treating it ... it's whether you you are capable of determining whether the colony is capable of managing whatever level of mites are present or whether you are prepared to risk the colony.

Whatever you decide to do I would make sure that the colony is well stocked going into Winter .. build an insulated 'bonnet' for the nuc and if you are thinking of not treating then be certain that there is not an existing excessive varroa problem or any associated diseases present.

After that .. and if your decision is to go treatment free .. then it's a walk on the dark side .. it works for me but as I have frequently said .. there are risks attached.

 

[pargyle]

I tell, if you tell why your 58 girl friends have left you (banned)

Girfriends ? I should be so lucky .. married to the same woman for 43 years .. I got married the year you finished your degree (or at least one of them !).

 

[Finman]

Girfriends ? I should be so lucky .. married to the same woman for 43 years .. I got married the year you finished your degree (or at least one of them !).

You are afraid to tell.

But you said that you tell about me to Santa. That I do not forgive you.

 

[pargyle]

You are afraid to tell.

But you said that you tell about me to Santa. That I do not forgive you.

NO .. It's alright ... I gave him your Christmas list .. pretty short one - only two items Vodka and Varroa Treatments .. he said he'll see what he can do ! Best be a good boy until Christmas or you won't get anything !!

 

[Finman]

NO .. It's alright ... I gave him your Christmas list .. pretty short one - only two items Vodka and Varroa Treatments .. he said he'll see what he can do ! Best be a good boy until Christmas or you won't get anything !!

Buy why he brought to me something brown water, made in Great Britain? Reindeer piss in recycled bottle?
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Santa's favorite is vodka. That is why he does not donate them to anybody.. His red nose and his red nose reindeer, you know.

 

[pargyle]

Buy why he brought to me something brown water, made in Great Britain? Reindeer piss in recycled bottle?
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Santa's favorite is vodka. That is why he does not donate them to anybody.. His red nose and his red nose reindeer, you know.

Like it !!