Here is a cautionary tale.
Before Varroa arrived here I went on a course to Germany. I was probably the most inexperienced person on the trip of some 25 people, a mix of beefarmers and the beekeeping "intelligentsia" , which is to say highly qualified beekeepers who lectured rather than ran a lot of colonies.
The Germans had a fantastic set up with line breeding going on and so many staff and cash (or so it seemed) that it was a bit over powering.
They took us to an apiary and said help your self... look through the bees.
So after wards we discussed matters and whilst things looked sort of ok it was obvious that underlying there was a real problem but there was no evidence to be seen of disease or robbing or..... anything at all.
Excellent post. Just what I preach to those who think they can get away with doing nothing.
Puzzled we went to the lab with a few combs of brood and here the issue was revealed......... Varroa by the thousands. It was downright shocking.
This apiary we were then told was supported on the verge of collapse with additions of clean brood from donor hives and kept to show the innocents like us how devious (for a word) varroa are.
Varroa is not to be underestimated and given the choice between treating and not I know what I am doing.
Newbies should be very wary about Varroa, and whilst sugar dusting is all very well, the real issue is post then, I mean past the time when you CAN sugar the bees, as the real hidden infestation arrives unbeknownst to you with colony collapse. Other peoples screw ups affecting you.
PH
