feeling demoralized, lost a hive to varroa...

[julesbeek]

Hi all,
Haven't checked into the forums for a few months - it's been hectic out here!

Anyway, I finally had a chance to thoroughly check all my hives on Friday, and I found some bummer stuff, and am hoping for suggestions and/or advice.

I have been keeping bees w/o chemicals since my first year, 9 seasons ago. I mostly use small cell, but have also started experimenting with natural cell (foundationless). I've had good luck, though I did lose a hive to starvation last year (bad beekeeper!). This year, wow, I'm just at a loss. I lost one hive to varroa, for sure, one is struggling and has a ton of mites on the bottom board, and one was near starvation. Two are doing really well, but two needed feeding (we had an abnormally warm and sunny 3-4 weeks in late Jan/early Feb out here on the west coast of California).

I have also experimented with powder sugar dusting, but I suspect I didn't do enough "treatments."

For the two hives that seem to be low on bees and struggling a bit (I saw the queens in both), what would be the best way to boost them up, since they are building up the brood nest (or trying to)? I am not interested in treating with Apistan or any other stronger chemical, so would appreciate suggestions other than that. (otherwise, I'd have posted on the "bee diseases" forum). It's a bit too early in the year to re-queen, and even if I did queen interruption, I'm worried there wouldn't be enough bees to carry the hive through to a new queen being introduced after a period of broodnest interruption.

Appreciate any suggestions and thoughts on how I can beef up my girls. I hate to lose a hive, period, and this was just pretty depressing.

Julesbeek

[Sasha]

Welcome to the club. I lost 9 of 10 last winter. I dont know where you are located, but where where I live the its still winter. Maybe you could combine those weak hives into a stronger one and do an oxalic acid vaporization. That should help with the varroa and with the low number of bees. Also add honey to them or sugar if you don't have frames of honey. Good luck!

[alpha6]

Have you tried treating with Essential Oils? They work great.

[kirk-o]

I'm in Los Angeles.I'm small cell natural cell.When I loose bees it is usally in Sept August to Ants.I don't treat in any fashion.Nothing.But I make sure the bees have plenty of honey left over to get through.When they need pollen I use bee pollen I get from L A Honey.All bees are created equal some just live longer than others.Some work harder than others.Also if you read Charles Martin Simons articles on this site that will help you very much.
Kirkobeeo

[julesbeek]

I guess I need to do a bit more research on essential oils (long as De Lusby doesn't find out! :-)).
Combining with a stronger hive is an option, but I'd need to make sure not to transfer over a ton of mite-infested brood. I've got feeders on all my hives right now, because we had a very warm spell in January for over 3 weeks - bees out every day and they went through their stores a lot faster! Nearly lost a hive to starvation.

Thanks to all who replied - I shall keep trying without any harsh chemicals.

julesbeek

[TodesSchatten]

you could start w/ a brood interrupt and HBH in the syrup to drop the mite load and strengthen your bees so they can better deal w/ the mites

good luck