Med's when starting regression?

[Ruben]

I am starting out beekeeping and regression to small cell at the same time, and I am just about ready for the arrival of my bees. My question is: Is there any medications or chemicals I need to have on hand, or will I have time to order them in the event I should need them? I don't want to use anything if I don't have to, and there is a Dadant Warehouse (Lynchburg, Va)50 miles from me in an emergency that I if had to get something quick.

[Michael Bush]

>My question is: Is there any medications or chemicals I need to have on hand

IMO no. That's whole point of biological beekeeping.

>I don't want to use anything if I don't have to

Then don't.

>there is a Dadant Warehouse (Lynchburg, Va)50 miles from me in an emergency that I if had to get something quick.

There is nothing there you will need quickly.

If you want to monitor Varroa mite levels (and I would) and if the mite levels get too high (and I doubt they will but it is possible) you should have a plan ready. That plan could be dusting them all with powdered sugar, or it could be cutting out all the capped drone brood or adding some frames of drone foundation and freezing the capped drone brood. Or both. Of something else. But you need to have a contingency plan. Probably the most effective treatment with the least side effects would be Oxalic acid vapor. You can buy the OA at the locak hardware store and the fittings to make an evaporator there also.

http://bwrangler.madpage.com/bee/goxa.htm

Or buy an evaporator: http://members.shaw.ca/orioleln/Vaporizer.htm


If you don’t wish to use chemicals, then I suggest you don’t pick a contingency plan that includes them. smile.gif