Tuttle
07-11-2009, 09:24 PM
First of all I would just like to thank anyone taking the time to help me out, I greatly appreciate it!
I've heard conflicting opinions on using non chemical solutions for mites so I was wondering if someone could provide me with their expertise and experience. My father is an ex commercial bee keeper and has said he has never heard of any of these solutions although he has been out of the game for quite some time.
I've also talked to a few of his friends who are currently local commercial bee keepers and they say that they just stick to using chemicals and say they don't really have an interest in using any of these methods.
From what I've read on the Internet these methods seem like they could be valuable resources and I am very interested in implementing some of these into my operation.
Let me give you a little bit of background information that may help you in giving advice to me. I live in Southern California desert area, the weather during extraction season/summer gets up to 120 F and it can also get quite humid during these times. In the winter it is usually about mid 60's during the day and it can get pretty cold at night, every once in awhile it will get below 32F but on average is in the mid 40's.
My business wouldn't be considered commercial yet but that is the plan so the methods would need to be applied from a commercial stance and not as a bee hobbyist. I currently have about 100-125 hives and it is my second year operating.
So let me get to my questions on the different methods now:
1. Screened Bottoms: These seem like a win win situation from what I've read they don't allow mites that fall off bees to re-enter the hive and they also provide more ventilation which also makes the hive more cleaner. I have heard that the type of climate can play a role on whether they are beneficial or not so perhaps someone can explain or help me on this decision. I am thinking currently that implementing them would be extremely good, also does anyone know of DYI instructions to make these?
2. Powered sugar: I've heard that this can slightly reduce mites, what is your opinion of it? How often do you use it and when do you use it? During extraction season when you can't use chemical, year around, or?
3. Drone Brood trapping: I was reading about that this can be very beneficial in reducing mites since they prefer drones due to the larva being larger and taking 24 days to hatch which allows the mites to breed more offspring.
Obviously using the premade drone brood foundation frames where you freeze them isn't going to be efficient for commercial use, however I did see a article where a beekeeper was splitting a frame in half and leaving half the foundation out so the bees would make drone cells and then they would simply just go from hive to hive and cut them out. So my question is do you only put this in the bottom hive or in the suppers to? How many do you use? How long do you use them for and when do you use them?
4. Hygienic queen rearing: This seems like an extremely important thing to do but how about in a commercial environment? It seems like it would be a lot of work. Do you base your decision for rearing off the 10 egg test where you poke each one with a needle and if the bees clean out 90% of them within 24 hours then they are considered hygienic? or are there other factors you look for?
Well that's all the questions I had right now, like I said before I greatly appreciate anyone taking the time to help me. Also if you have any other methods or any other advice I would be very interested in hearing of them. Thanks a lot guys!
I've heard conflicting opinions on using non chemical solutions for mites so I was wondering if someone could provide me with their expertise and experience. My father is an ex commercial bee keeper and has said he has never heard of any of these solutions although he has been out of the game for quite some time.
I've also talked to a few of his friends who are currently local commercial bee keepers and they say that they just stick to using chemicals and say they don't really have an interest in using any of these methods.
From what I've read on the Internet these methods seem like they could be valuable resources and I am very interested in implementing some of these into my operation.
Let me give you a little bit of background information that may help you in giving advice to me. I live in Southern California desert area, the weather during extraction season/summer gets up to 120 F and it can also get quite humid during these times. In the winter it is usually about mid 60's during the day and it can get pretty cold at night, every once in awhile it will get below 32F but on average is in the mid 40's.
My business wouldn't be considered commercial yet but that is the plan so the methods would need to be applied from a commercial stance and not as a bee hobbyist. I currently have about 100-125 hives and it is my second year operating.
So let me get to my questions on the different methods now:
1. Screened Bottoms: These seem like a win win situation from what I've read they don't allow mites that fall off bees to re-enter the hive and they also provide more ventilation which also makes the hive more cleaner. I have heard that the type of climate can play a role on whether they are beneficial or not so perhaps someone can explain or help me on this decision. I am thinking currently that implementing them would be extremely good, also does anyone know of DYI instructions to make these?
2. Powered sugar: I've heard that this can slightly reduce mites, what is your opinion of it? How often do you use it and when do you use it? During extraction season when you can't use chemical, year around, or?
3. Drone Brood trapping: I was reading about that this can be very beneficial in reducing mites since they prefer drones due to the larva being larger and taking 24 days to hatch which allows the mites to breed more offspring.
Obviously using the premade drone brood foundation frames where you freeze them isn't going to be efficient for commercial use, however I did see a article where a beekeeper was splitting a frame in half and leaving half the foundation out so the bees would make drone cells and then they would simply just go from hive to hive and cut them out. So my question is do you only put this in the bottom hive or in the suppers to? How many do you use? How long do you use them for and when do you use them?
4. Hygienic queen rearing: This seems like an extremely important thing to do but how about in a commercial environment? It seems like it would be a lot of work. Do you base your decision for rearing off the 10 egg test where you poke each one with a needle and if the bees clean out 90% of them within 24 hours then they are considered hygienic? or are there other factors you look for?
Well that's all the questions I had right now, like I said before I greatly appreciate anyone taking the time to help me. Also if you have any other methods or any other advice I would be very interested in hearing of them. Thanks a lot guys!