From: Joe Waggle <joe9360@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2001 18:10:24 -0700 (PDT)
To: BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Mid-season mite 'treatment'

Hello all,

I believe this powdered sugar dust treatment
does absolutely nothing that is beneficial for the
bees, and can only be harmful in the long run. Even if
you have success using this method. Over a few years,
simply by breeding the queens from hives that survived
with the help of this treatment. You have done nothing
to improve good qualities you would like present in
your bees, but instead confuse the process by creating
an artificial advantage over other mite suppressing
traits that might be present in your bee yard. In
stead of breeding SMR (Suppress Mite Reproduction)
Queens. You'll be breeding SMRWTAOPS
(Suppress Mite Reproduction With The Aid OF Powdered
Sugar) Queens making them dependent on it. If
treatment is stopped, the mites will then have the
advantage and the bees with no defense will be wiped
out.

I'm new to Bio Beekeeping and in the process of
reprogramming my thinking away from chemical
beekeeping and toward Bio Beekeeping. My definition of
Bio Beekeeping is Beekeeping natures way or as close
as possible to the way nature would have it. The small
cell size is the answer because that's how nature
would have it. I never use to, but now before trying
any man made methods on my bees I always ask myself.
Is this done in nature? How does nature do it? If some
day I open up a hive and see a little mother nature
fairy dusting my bees with powdered sugar, I'll change
my mind, but until then, I'll go with small cell size.
That's how Dee was able to convince me that small cell
size is the answer. because that's how mother nature
does it, and nature will always do things right.

Regards,
Joe - PA.