Treatment Free

[john w]

"It seems to relate to their propensity to recap cells ie they detect varroa presence within cells and then they bore a small hole in the cell capping, disrupting the equilibrium of temp and humidity. "

"seems"..

Holes in cappings are a WELL KNOWN sign of excess varroa irrespective of cell size.

If you are suggesting they are associated only with bees in small cells . I would love to see your evidence. A link to the appropriate scientific paper will suffice - no need to quote from it..

My bees do not appear to be small cell.. last time I measure my TBHs after 5 years of them the size was 5.4 mm and my Langs appear the same. Both colony types appeared to show holes in cappings associated with excess varroa.. And visible mites and DWV appear to confirm this.
Our Association apiary is the same as are other hives I mentor for others.


I would welcome your link as above to show I am just wrong.

If you read my earlier post you will see that I stated that this phenomena occurs more often in smaller bees but not exclusively, The colonies .
that Steve Martin has investigated are predominantly 5.4mm

The recapping phenomena is not about creating and leaving holes it is about recapping ie plugging them back. They are practically invisible from the top and need to be carefully peeled off to see the evidence from below.

Have a read of Oddie et al: Cell size and Varroa destructor mite infestations in susceptible and naturally-surviving honeybee (Apis mellifera ) colonies

john

 

[john w]

It will be if you explain the following to me:1) half sisters are often of different sizes. So ,according to what you say, this is not genetic, ??
2) these different sized half sisters will build different sized cells ?? So,
3) In the same hive we will find several sizes of worker cell depending on who built them ?
4) If several half sisters are working on a cell together, who decides what the size is going to be ?

Sorry if this seems like being awkward, but it takes me time to understand things.

All that is perfectly reasonable. If you look at a single frame of brood you will typically see a range of cell sizes. In the middle of the frame they are roughly the same size. So in a colony of small (4.9mm) bees you can visually see a range of cell sizes and commensurate bees BUT the predominant size will be small ie emerging from 4.9mm cells.

The same applies to any cell size foundation. You will even see this on plastic foundation. There is a range but the majority are close to a single size.

john

 

[john w]

It jää been prive in University researches, that small cells do not help in varroa.

Yes it has and quite rightly so ie I agree with the research, the method and the conclusion that it does not work. I can say that confidently because unlike much of the research that I have read and seen others critique, I have done this over a number of years and seen the effect that small cell has. It takes time. If you do your research over a few weeks or months there is every chance that the varroa will get worse! If you stay with it (small cell) it will prevail.

It's a choice thing

john

 

[Gilberdyke John]

.....or maybe "Hive Talking" by The Gee Bees

I'm thunderstruck to think of bees singing in falsetto voices

 

[fiat500bee]

I'm thunderstruck to think of bees singing in falsetto voices

Yes, they had another hit called "Stay in a hive".

 

[Beesnaturally]

By "commercial" it is someone who draws a wage from their business and makes a profit.

"Uncommercial" means draws no wage or draws a wage and makes a loss...

And Minimum Wage applies...!

All the rest are playing.

Perhaps they are 'playing' at steadily increasing their operation toward your personal criteria and beyond....

Perhaps much of the income is going into infrastructure and expansion, while as little as possible is being spent on drawings.

The business of making a business is perhaps more intricate than you have imagined? It may be harder than you think to draw a clear line between commercial and people 'playing'.

 

[pargyle]

Yes, they had another hit called "Stay in a hive".

Let it Bee - by ... The Beetles ?

 

[fiat500bee]

Let it Bee - by ... The Beetles ?

The Bee-tles were famous for their apiary-music, what about that old faithfull, "A Taste of Honey"?

 

[Beesnaturally]

"Bees work according to two natural drivers, not one: acquisition and replication. Generally, they acquire first to reach a level of success which enables them to enact the second. In this respect, working with them to acquire to a level they choose is a good idea."

In an ideal world, Bob, but real life tells a different story: beekeeper forgot, beekeeper ill, beekeeper couldn't care less, beekeeper doesn't know how, beekeeper doesn't want to learn how. I admit to three of those in my time, but my intent to avoid swarms never wavered.

Some beekeepers take approaches that include letting bees swarm, and trapping or otherwise catching the swarms where possible. This generally comes in concert with an unlimited brood nest and forcing a certain amount of wax production, both of which reduce swarming. The time and effort saved by not searching for queen cells can be used for other things. And of swarms that 'escape': not responsible in built up areas, but otherwise fine - the resultant feral bees will form part of a living local population in which natural selection drives the healthy strains to develop. And will often send swarms back to bait traps.

 

[Erichalfbee]

And of swarms that 'escape': not responsible in built up areas, but otherwise fine

I live in rural Wales where houses smallholdings and farms are scattered widely. Swarms still invade people’s chimneys, soffits and compost bins. They still bivouac under children’s trampolines and garden fruit trees.

 

[ericbeaumont]

The time and effort saved by not searching for queen cells can be used for other things.

It's a willing beekeeper with plenty of time that can paint such a neat picture of swarming, collection and trapping but in another world, from Dani's rural Wales to my urban Walthamstow, a swarm is often an alarming nuisance and an expensive one at that. We took a nest out of school ceiling recently and the bill was nearly £600, which at least the school could afford.

I considered which would run me ragged soonest: checking quickly for QCs and splitting the colony, or keeping on top of collecting, trapping and dealing with the phone calls; reckon I'll stick to routine checks.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's a willing beekeeper with plenty of time that can paint such a neat picture of swarming, collection and trapping but in another world, from Dani's rural Wales to my urban Walthamstow, a swarm is often an alarming nuisance and an expensive one at that. We took a nest out of school ceiling recently and the bill was nearly £600, which at least the school could afford.

I considered which would run me ragged soonest: checking quickly for QCs and splitting the colony, or keeping on top of collecting, trapping and dealing with the phone calls; reckon I'll stick to routine checks.

To me, a lot of these fashions point towards lazy beekeeping rather than any altruistic aim of 'helping' the bees

 

[bingevader]

To me, a lot of these fashions point towards lazy beekeeping rather than any altruistic aim of 'helping' the bees

However, lazy beekeeping isn't confined to any particular faction (hate to have to use that about bee keeping, but it's true!).
I can remember it being claimed on here somewhere previously that one swarm per apiary per season was fair dos!

 

[john w]

It's a willing beekeeper with plenty of time that can paint such a neat picture of swarming, collection and trapping but in another world, from Dani's rural Wales to my urban Walthamstow, a swarm is often an alarming nuisance and an expensive one at that. We took a nest out of school ceiling recently and the bill was nearly £600, which at least the school could afford.

I considered which would run me ragged soonest: checking quickly for QCs and splitting the colony, or keeping on top of collecting, trapping and dealing with the phone calls; reckon I'll stick to routine checks.

I think you make a very good point about the stress of swarming in urban/semi-urban settings. In fact anywhere there are people close by. It can be very stressful. For me personally it is the biggest headache in beekeeping and burns up credits with neighbours when I have to hack through their trees to recover swarms. No point even suggesting the swarm is not mine! A few of us have experimented over the last couple of years with a mode of beekeeping that prevents swarming and it seems to work - see this month's BBKA News. I may start a thread (or add to existing) on Swarm Prevention.

john

 

[Erichalfbee]

I think you make a very good point about the stress of swarming in urban/semi-urban settings. In fact anywhere there are people close by. It can be very stressful. For me personally it is the biggest headache in beekeeping and burns up credits with neighbours when I have to hack through their trees to recover swarms. No point even suggesting the swarm is not mine! A few of us have experimented over the last couple of years with a mode of beekeeping that prevents swarming and it seems to work - see this month's BBKA News. I may start a thread (or add to existing) on Swarm Prevention.

john

Better starting a new one

 

[Murox]

I think you make a very good point about the stress of swarming in urban/semi-urban settings. In fact anywhere there are people close by. It can be very stressful. For me personally it is the biggest headache in beekeeping and burns up credits with neighbours when I have to hack through their trees to recover swarms. No point even suggesting the swarm is not mine! A few of us have experimented over the last couple of years with a mode of beekeeping that prevents swarming and it seems to work - see this month's BBKA News. I may start a thread (or add to existing) on Swarm Prevention.

john

I do not subscribe to BBKA news - but I would like to hear about a methods of beekeeping that prevents swarming. Please start a thread.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I do not subscribe to BBKA news - but I would like to hear about a methods of beekeeping that prevents swarming. Please start a thread.

It's checkerboarding - nothing more

 

[Erichalfbee]

And does Checkerboarding work in the U.K. where a long enough period of good foraging weather can’t be guaranteed anywhere?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

And does Checkerboarding work in the U.K. where a long enough period of good foraging weather can’t be guaranteed anywhere?

Doubtful - I can see the honey yield, if not the bees themselves taking a bit of a kicking.

 

[Murox]

It's checkerboarding - nothing more

Ahh I see. Didn't Mr Wright develop the idea for double brood langs ? Have his ideas been adapted for the typical single brood BS national ? Would be interesting to see a thread on that John w.....