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I didn't say I disapprove. I'm just trying to understand why people don't feed their bees earlier.

Perhaps they are broodless in some cases, think about it?

Don't you ever boost your vitamin c intake over winter to try and ward off colds?
Would you turn down any of the advised innoculations if you planned to travel to foreign countries such as sub Saharan Africa.
Do you maintain we should abolish the rubella and TB jabs but only treat the kids when they go down with the disease?
It's too damm late trying to treat your bees in midwinter if they come down with nosema.
It's also been proven that bees given thymol in winter feed build up quicker in spring.
Nothing wrong with preventative medicine.

What is your answer to the above?
 
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Don't you ever boost your vitamin c intake over winter to try and ward off colds?
Would you turn down any of the advised innoculations if you planned to travel to foreign countries such as sub Saharan Africa.
Do you maintain we should abolish the rubella and TB jabs but only treat the kids when they go down with the disease?
It's too damm late trying to treat your bees in midwinter if they come down with nosema.
It's also been proven that bees given thymol in winter feed build up quicker in spring.
Nothing wrong with preventative medicine.

No, you were definitely talking about people in this post....

So should nothing be treated as a preventative measure?

Don't you ever boost your vitamin c intake over winter to try and ward off colds?
Would you turn down any of the advised innoculations if you planned to travel to foreign countries such as sub Saharan Africa.
Do you maintain we should abolish the rubella and TB jabs but only treat the kids when they go down with the disease?
It's too damm late trying to treat your bees in midwinter if they come down with nosema.
It's also been proven that bees given thymol in winter feed build up quicker in spring.
Nothing wrong with preventative medicine.

Your answer?
 
Irrelevant.

I think it's very relevant.

I applaud your efforts to find the magic bee that can live with varroa, but this is an entirely different scenario - let's not get the two confused - non treatment and the refusal to contemplate prophylactic measures (especially where it has been proven to benefit your charges) is poor husbandry not good IMHO.
There's such a thing as carrying an obsession too far.
 
So should nothing be treated as a preventative measure?

I would not expect antibiotics as a preventative medicine.

The difficulty with prophylactic treatment is that it blurs the distinction between susceptible individuals and those who are not. Which would you breed from if you can't tell the difference?
 
I would not expect antibiotics as a preventative medicine.

The difficulty with prophylactic treatment is that it blurs the distinction between susceptible individuals and those who are not. Which would you breed from if you can't tell the difference?

Really, you would prefer to an get infection and possibly die then.

....
Antibiotic prophylaxis refers to the prevention of infection complications using antimicrobial therapy (most commonly antibiotics).
 
mould is a fungi nosema is a fungi, thymol prevents mould growing........
Thymol isn't an antibiotic but derives from a natural plant that is a culinary delight.
Your bees so do as you feel fit.
 
Thornes circulated a wee revamped newsletter by E mail a short time ago and in it they consider the use of thymolated feed. The bit that stuck in my mind was the comment that Thymol appears to interfere with the varroa mite's ability to breed.
Since starting out as a beekeeper, I have given my bees a thymolated Autumn feed and I have also used ApiLife Var as an Autumn varroa treatment. The colonies where i have seen the largest varroa fall during treatment are those that were made up during the Summer immediately preceding and they haven't previously been fed any thymolated syrup. With longer established colonies, is it the case that comb that has stored thymolated stores is serving to inhibit varroa breeding?
 
Stopped feeding large colonies. Nuc is nearly there other two still a bit light.
 
Fed a few weaker colonies.
Strimmed grass under hives: bees yawned and ignored me..
 
First ground frost of the season this morning.

Quickly topped up one rapid feeder - might need a bit more in that hive and the nuc. Still taking it down nicely.
 
Been away from home for a few days. Took a quick walk round the apiary and the smell of ivy is overpowering in the still air
 
Thornes circulated a wee revamped newsletter by E mail a short time ago and in it they consider the use of thymolated feed. The bit that stuck in my mind was the comment that Thymol appears to interfere with the varroa mite's ability to breed.
Since starting out as a beekeeper, I have given my bees a thymolated Autumn feed and I have also used ApiLife Var as an Autumn varroa treatment. The colonies where i have seen the largest varroa fall during treatment are those that were made up during the Summer immediately preceding and they haven't previously been fed any thymolated syrup. With longer established colonies, is it the case that comb that has stored thymolated stores is serving to inhibit varroa breeding?

Thymolated feed doesnt work as varroa control.
 
Fed another four litres of Thymol Syrup earlier that took the total to twelve litres up to now, i also checked the inspection tray, i was quite surprised at how many Varroa where on it especially after the third vape last week, the tray was almost full with a average gap of 2/3 mm between each Varroa, i could not find it in myself too count each one so i gassed them again to be on the safe side.
The bees however where surprisingly calm considering the cool scattered shower that have been happening here most of the day, i thought i would have been hammered but quite the opposite.
 
Fed another four litres of Thymol Syrup earlier that took the total to twelve litres up to now, i also checked the inspection tray, i was quite surprised at how many Varroa were on it.

There's the answer to your earlier question! Who needs scientific proof! :D
 
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