Varroa

[colinlyne]

Does anyone NOT treat for varroa?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Do you?

 

[Murox]

Does anyone know if varroa is affecting local bee populations other than mellifera in the UK?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Does anyone know if varroa is affecting local bee populations other than mellifera in the UK?

I’ve asked on Bees Wasps and ants.
No is the answer but the diseases vectored are appearing In bumbles

https://phys.org/news/2019-06-honey...GT3nVCFSlVaobiiJ1Z-rC06yXkGKSELcEclubG9zy8Ols

 

[Murox]

I’ve asked on Bees Wasps and ants.
No is the answer but the diseases vectored are appearing In bumbles

https://phys.org/news/2019-06-honey...GT3nVCFSlVaobiiJ1Z-rC06yXkGKSELcEclubG9zy8Ols

Thanks for that. As the article suggests, it makes it more important than ever to treat for varroa .

 

[pargyle]

Does anyone NOT treat for varroa?

Yes ... there's quite a few of us ... more than you would think. Me ? ever since I strarted keeping bees ... there's a recent thread somewhere ... but why did you ask ?

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/treatment-free.43357/

 

[gmonag]

I would love to go treatment-free. However with the mite drops I'm seeing at the moment I cannot see it happening soon!

 

[bobba]

Yes ... there's quite a few of us ... more than you would think. Me ? ever since I strarted keeping bees ... there's a recent thread somewhere ... but why did you ask ?

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/treatment-free.43357/

I just find it hard to believe it’s possible without losing hives. I think all my bees would have been wiped out if I did not treat.

Do you lose some hives to mites?

What do you do if you find an infested hive?

 

[user 819]

I tried mite free a about 8 or 9 years ago with 5 colonies, none made it through to spring.

 

[pargyle]

I just find it hard to believe it’s possible without losing hives. I think all my bees would have been wiped out if I did not treat.

Do you lose some hives to mites?

What do you do if you find an infested hive?

Not lost a hive to varroa or disease yet ... I've seen a few spikes in the mite count ... held my nerve ... it always went back down. If I had a colony that were really infested and were clearly not managing the mite load - and if they worth were keeping .. I would treat ... I have the means but haven't needed to use it so far. Going into my ninth season TF.

 

[Beekeeperscottish]

Not lost a hive to varroa or disease yet ... I've seen a few spikes in the mite count ... held my nerve ... it always went back down. If I had a colony that were really infested and were clearly not managing the mite load - and if they worth were keeping .. I would treat ... I have the means but haven't needed to use it so far. Going into my ninth season TF.

How do you find the bees behave when they have a high might count?

 

[colinlyne]

Do you?

I want to be treatment free!

 

[colinlyne]

Yes ... there's quite a few of us ... more than you would think. Me ? ever since I strarted keeping bees ... there's a recent thread somewhere ... but why did you ask ?

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/treatment-free.43357/

I want to stop, and leave it to natural resistance. However, I have, for the first time, used sugar powder.

 

[bobthecob]

I want to stop, and leave it to natural resistance. However, I have, for the first time, used sugar powder.

So you are still leaving it to natural resistance then.

 

[pargyle]

How do you find the bees behave when they have a high might count?

I can't say that I've had a colony with a sustained high mite count .. I see normal variations in colony behaviour but this appears to be related to weather, atmospheric conditions, time of day, etc. I can't say that I've ever related the two ... one would think that with a heavy infestation they would be behaving differently but, perhaps, someone who treats and has mite counts in thousands might be able to comment - interesting question.

 

[Erichalfbee]

So you are still leaving it to natural resistance then.

Dusting the frames with sugar powder will remove mites. Think of a sugar roll. To be effective though it has to be done weekly and each frame has to be taken out and the bees dusted liberally. Very invasive and kills open brood. Philip has been TF for all the years he’s been keeping bees but he has to work hard at it.

 

[pargyle]

I want to stop, and leave it to natural resistance. However, I have, for the first time, used sugar powder.

Sorry - hit the like button in error ... icing sugar for a treatment of varroa is a waste of time and your money. If your bees are in need of treating for varroa - do the job properly - sublimate Oxalic Acid. If they don't need treating (and you do need to test properly with a sugar roll) then you have the option of not treating.

 

[Paddyg]

Does anyone NOT treat for varroa?

Word of caution. Once you have started treating do not stop. If you want to go varroa free look at the latest news pamphlet from BBKA. It is excellent and informative ref varroa resistant bees

 

[Abelha]

Before making a decision on this, on the grounds of "know your enemy", I strongly recommend watching this amusing and very informative lecture by Dr Samuel Ramsey to the INI Beekeepers: Dr Samuel Ramsey – Varroa feed on Fat Body

 

[Madge]

Do you lose some hives to mites?

... Philip has been TF for all the years he’s been keeping bees but he has to work hard at it.

And he most likely fools himself in thinking that the colony deaths he has suffered (and admits her has suffered) are unrelated to Varroa.