From: "huestis" <buzzybee@capital.net>
Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2001 11:42:21 -0700
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: Shake Down Methods

Hi Barry,

> Not sure on this. I was able to get 3/4 of a single deep brood box worth of
> comb on the first shakedown before doing the second. On the second round
> using full sheets of foundation, the bees had drawn two deep supers of comb
> and had the top super filled completely with capped honey by late Fall. In
> fact, one of the hives had almost worked up 3 deep supers. Neither of these
> hives made it through the Winter but then again neither did 5 of my other 7
> hives on 5.4mm cell size. They all appeared to have died from the same cause
> as the symptoms were the same. Starvation due to an extended cold spell
> appeared to be the cause.

Tough loss Barry. Sorry to hear this, I was under the impression one 4.9mm
colony survived. Don't feel bad out of 18 colonies at my home yard and a
bunch of nuc's lost all nuc's and 6 hives survived(4 average, two weak). My
other two yards averaged 10-15% loss. Used the best the chemical crew had to
offer(apistan and apicure). My over all impressions the stuff isn't working
anymore! FGMO is the most successful yet(which I will use on all
non-regressed colonies this year).

The worst part is I have 40 queens coming in 7- 10 days. Wish I had forty
colonies. Might be able to swing that mant splits????

> Cold turkey! You have to give them a total break from the old size comb.
> I've not heard of a way to do it gradually. Expect well over a 50 percent
> loss in bees the first year. Having only regressed two colonies last year,
> the odds were not in my favor of having one survive the winter. What I do
> have now is pretty good drawn 4.9 comb that I can use to work my remaining
> two colonies on to. I should be able to split them this Spring and have more
> 4.9 hives going into the winter.

Barry, do you really think over 50% loss on regressed hives the first year?
Do you happen to know Dee's loss on first year of regression(%)?

Clay