Vanishing bees, varroa biggest reason 2016

[Finman]

I have read newest reports of US universities and Canada year 2016

http://www.capabees.com/shared/2015/07/2016-CAPA-Statement-on-Colony-Losses-July-19.pdf

https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/deciphering-mysterious-decline-honey-bees.

My opinion is that Canada and USA are difficult to compare. Their winters are really different. It is much more difficult to treat varroa when hives have brood all the time and brooding period is long.

Canada does not speak about summer losses.

USA has now found out that summer losses are as big as in winter. But USA does not have yet explained why hives die in summer.

North Carolina University researching tells that good belief on varroa resistant bees has slipped from hands. It does not work so as it has believed. Studies say that varroa resistant bees give only moderate protection against mite.

vanEngelsdorp has pointed out several times, that beekeepers should treat mites better. Hobby beekeepers have worse situation than professionals.

In Canada winter loss trend is going down. In USA the trend is going up. 10 years ago annual losses were at the level on 30%, and now level is about 40%.

 

[Finman]

PS: prognosis to UK. Mite situation is not good in UK. When trust on "do nothing treatment" in beekeeping rises, it means that mite levels are going up on areas.

Like my professional friend tells, around his one area there are lots of hives and several big beekeepers, he has big difficulties to keep his hives alive even if he do all treatmenst to his hives. ...More hives, more mites in surroundings...

On another areas, where he is almost alone, treatments work very well.

.

 

[Eyeman]

Like my professional friend tells, around his one area there are lots of hives and several big beekeepers, he has big difficulties to keep his hives alive even if he do all treatmenst to his hives. ...More hives, more mites in surroundings...

It not going to be easy.
Remember Randy Oliver saying at last years BIBBA meeting in the Isle of Man that he breeds from his colonies that show mite resistance. Out of the 1000 colonies that he manages 25 showed mite resistance. That's 2.5% and judging by his excellent articles he has been monitoring mites for some time.
Still a long way to go before you convince the commercial guys that mite resistant bees are the way to go!

 

[For want of a better word]

It not going to be easy.
Remember Randy Oliver saying at last years BIBBA meeting in the Isle of Man that he breeds from his colonies that show mite resistance. Out of the 1000 colonies that he manages 25 showed mite resistance. That's 2.5% and judging by his excellent articles he has been monitoring mites for some time.
Still a long way to go before you convince the commercial guys that mite resistant bees are the way to go!

IPM is going to get much more expensive as our money grabbing Quango Government funded departments levy massive taxes by way of license fees on varroa controlling substances that have been cheaply and easily available and effective for most of this decade... one substance in particular that when sublimated into an infested colony reduces the varroa loads to acceptable levels........

Next we will be paying £150 for a packet of Paracetamol.... and having to get a prescription to buy it as it will be taken off the NHS funded scheme... OAP or not!.

Considerable number of beekeepers have said that they will not be treating against varroa... even by sugar dusting.... as product prices are unacceptable and would not wish to break the law.

Yeghes da

 

[Finman]

.
Our governement started to collect 'sugar tax'. IT succeed so well that the price of sugar kilo dropped from 1 euro to 0.5 euro.
Governement told, that tax succeeded to deminish sugar consumption.

. Perhaps UK vets will find as good explanation to £ 200/kg oxalic acid.
.

 

[fatshark]

Considerable number of beekeepers have said that they will not be treating against varroa... even by sugar dusting.... as product prices are unacceptable and would not wish to break the law.

Really? Some might have said this. The reality is that treatments are relatively inexpensive compared to the value of the colony that will almost certainly be lost if they don't treat.

This seems like false economy to me ...

You only need to read the tales of woe on the Beesource TF pages to appreciate the consequences of not treating ... or read the reports from 25 years ago on the near-inevitable fate of untreated colonies.

PS But they can save on the sugar dusting because it isn't a 'treatment' in any meaningful sense.

 

[For want of a better word]

Really? Some might have said this. The reality is that treatments are relatively inexpensive compared to the value of the colony that will almost certainly be lost if they don't treat.

This seems like false economy to me ...

You only need to read the tales of woe on the Beesource TF pages to appreciate the consequences of not treating ... or read the reports from 25 years ago on the near-inevitable fate of untreated colonies.

PS But they can save on the sugar dusting because it isn't a 'treatment' in any meaningful sense.

Methinks there is going to be a lot of guerilla sublimation !

Yeghes da

 

[wightbees]

Anyone read about that hive that uses solar energy to heat the hive to kill mite load, interesting idea and would be ideal for hobby beeks if there a diy route

 

[Finman]

Anyone read about that hive that uses solar energy to heat the hive to kill mite load, interesting idea and would be ideal for hobby beeks if there a diy route

Where this has happened?
.

 

[fatshark]

Anyone read about that hive that uses solar energy to heat the hive to kill mite load, interesting idea and would be ideal for hobby beeks if there a diy route

http://thermosolarhive.com/en/homepage/

I think it's been discussed on here (sceptically) before.

 

[wightbees]

Wasn't there another heat method to kill varroa if I remember right it does work in principle.

 

[Finman]

Wasn't there another heat method to kill varroa if I remember right it does work in principle.

Every country has recommendations how to treat mites. I think that no country recommends those heat things.

 

[wightbees]

---------------. com/thermosolar-hive-kills-100-of-varroa-mites

Another link for thermo

 

[wightbees]

From talking with bees site as link don't work.

Varroa mites are killed at temperatures above 40C. Honeybees, their brood and the frames are not affected at this temperature
The beekeeper removes the outer cover of the hive and the thermosolar ceiling is exposed to the sun and heats the hive. The required temperature is reached for a 2 hour period using this ceiling, a specially designed hive body and sensors that tell you the temperature reached in the hive
All the varroa on brood get killed as do varroa on house bees (this represents high proportion of the varroa). Varroa on flying bees or bees outside the hive, do not have a long life (3-5 days) , these varroa go to reproduce and then get trapped under the capped brood and hence the second treatment 7-14 days later ensures 100% of mites killed (you will want to treat all hives in apiary at same time to ensure varroa transferred between hives get eliminated in treatment 1 or 2)
I.e. no chemicals are used to kill the varroa, only the heat from the sun
Thermosolar Hive - Ceiling & Sensors
Thermosolar Hive – Ceiling & Sensors
How To Use It

With 2 treatments spaced 7-14 days apart, they claim 100% of mites will be killed
Each treatment involves heating the hive to 40C-47C for a 2 hour period
It is recommended that this is done twice a year. Before you put supers on for the honey flow and then again after the supers have been removed for harvesting
More information: Thermosolar Hive
Thermosolar Hive – The Evidence

100 beekeepers have tested the hive in different environment conditions and there are case studies on their website that the hive works and kills Varroa with great success. Link to case studies.
A university has used 5 Thermosolar hives and compared the results of thermotherapy with other hives where the thermotherapy was not done. The research is completed and their article is in review phase in scientific journal. Roman assures me that the results are excellent
The Thermosolar Hive team provide evidence here: Research
Furthermore Dr. Roman Linhart has good credentials: 25 years as a beekeeper (some of that as a professional), a doctorate and 10 years developing this hive. More about Dr Roman Linhart
I have also written more about this hive at Further Answers & Video
I am not here to promote this hive – I want to know your thoughts.

 

[wightbees]

Research for Finny : )
http://thermosolarhive.com/en/research/

 

[Finman]

Research for Finny : )
http://thermosolarhive.com/en/research/

Thank you

 

[mazzamazda]

Unfortunately I'm in the group of having a real struggle to keep mite numbers down. We haven't had a brood break in 24 months and some colonies have collapsed in an area where other beekeepers are. I normally use amitraz but that's not effective anymore. Currently using a mix of thymol and formic acid out of desperation. We have had a flow for the last 6 weeks which sounds great, it's more trouble. On the plus side I've had 3 queens mated in December, crazy!

 

[deanrpwaacs]

Unfortunately I'm in the group of having a real struggle to keep mite numbers down. We haven't had a brood break in 24 months and some colonies have collapsed in an area where other beekeepers are. I normally use amitraz but that's not effective anymore. Currently using a mix of thymol and formic acid out of desperation. We have had a flow for the last 6 weeks which sounds great, it's more trouble. On the plus side I've had 3 queens mated in December, crazy!

Could you shook swarm the bees then oxalic vape to give the mites a big hit ? Use the flow to get the new frames drawn . I know you are not in the uk and the season is not the same . Good luck anyhow .

 

[Little John]

Wasn't there another heat method to kill varroa if I remember right it does work in principle.

There was a gizmo mentioned on here recently - 4.5 hrs per hive per treatment - 80% varroa kill claimed. Needs a full-sized car battery, fully charged for just one treatment. So - pretty-much a non-starter for anyone with more than one or two hives.

How much does this solar hive cost ? I've tried to 'order one' to reveal the cost, but their site locks-up Firefox on my aging computer.
Anyway - whatever the price - you then need to compare the cost of replacing hives with the cost of VOA at a couple of p per treatment. The cost of the vapouriser can be amortised over (say) ten years - so maybe another 1p per treatment, obviously depending on how many hives you have.

Personally, I think the basic concept of heat-killing varroa is unrealistic - it's irrelevant whether it works or not - it's just not a cost-effective method of dealing with the problem.
LJ

 

[Little John]

Unfortunately I'm in the group of having a real struggle to keep mite numbers down. We haven't had a brood break in 24 months

Don't let that put you off - try 3 doses of VOA 5 days apart. I had one colony with DWV 'on it's knees' last year in mid-season, and zapped them with 4 doses of VOA, 4 days apart, just to be sure - as belt & braces. Colony survived and has just over-wintered ok (so far, touch wood).
LJ