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Crashing Hives!

12K views 54 replies 19 participants last post by  jim lyon 
#1 ·
Where are the reports of hives crashing from Varroa?

Usually, by this time each year, we have lots of posts that reflect serious infestations.

Hmmmm :)
 
#7 ·
Heck, Dave was seeing mites where others could not see them. Check out the picture down in the photo forum. Dave see's lots of mites as long as he's looking at someone elses hives.... ;) (And of course for all those very sensitive types who "read" into everything....as George said..."keep your pants on". I'm only joking.... :)
 
#11 ·
Just got finish with my first of three treatments yesterday.
Knocking down between 50-100 mites per hive of the 1700 hives. Want to be clean by middle of aug so will be ready for a aggressive pollen feeding campaige by the end of aug. But, may have to go back if needed in sept or oct if needed.
 
#23 ·
"Knocking down between 50-100 mites per hive" does not sound like a statement about pre-treatment count. "Knocking down" implies to me a "kill" made by the treatment. If your pre-treatment (natural) counts were between 50 and 100, it sounds to me you needed to treat.
 
#13 ·
what kind of treatment Keith?


There are ten different ones that I use, depending on the heat/cold (wheather) and how much brood is on the bees and the time window in which I want them clean by.

the method I used yesterday is the fastest by far 1700 hives in one day, but, my not be the most approved method.

Did that sound like a politician answering your question. :)
 
#15 ·
There are a number of possible causes...

I worry about mites making a jump to another from the Apis group and wish in vain they would jump to Vespa, while the solitary bees should be safe, certain bumblebees may not be.

I did not see any mites at all in the drone brood, but i did not open all drone brood, so it is merely a random sample, but where they were last year they are not this year. There may well be a disease that has reduced numbers, since they are not native, there may well be a disease from that group that jumped onto the mites and their own lack of resistance to a new disorder. Since these mites are very adaptable they may well return with amazing speed next season or the season afterwards.

If they have found a new host in ants or wasps then i wish them well, but that is a huge stretch...ya just can't fault a person for wishing. If the mites wait until August up here to fill drone brood for a population jump they are liable to find themselves without long term feeding in drone combs, things end rather quick up here for the drones. I have notice a great many drones this year and unlike last year adult drones have not been thrown out as they were and the brood dragged out with every dip in the temperature as buildup went on.

Last year i saw mites, this year i see none, that is as simple as it gets and unless you are in my bees, you don't see them either, it is simple as that. If you actually look at my bees then you can say yea or nay. Some people see ghosts in photos, i don't and that is what a photo can tell, esspecially digital.

Chrissy Shaw
 
#16 ·
>Knocking down between 50-100 mites per hive . . .

If this treatment only "knocked down" 50-100 mites,
1) the treatment did not provide an effective "kill", or
2) there were not enough mites to warrant treatment.

What were your PRE-treatment count?
 
#18 ·
Dave wrote,
>If this treatment only "knocked down" 50-100 mites,
>1) the treatment did not provide an effective "kill", or
>2) there were not enough mites to warrant treatment.

>What were your PRE-treatment count?

Dave, Pre-treatment was 50-100

We dont like to see any more mites than that at this time of year.

There were not enough mites to warrant treatment? Well Dave, do your bees look like this in Jan.

http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s35/CNHoney/?action=view&current=100_1432.jpg

I can run an eight frame hive into the almonds for $150, how many frames do you see?? 24/8=3 x 150 = $$$$$
 
#20 ·
Peggjam,

There's about 800 hives at that spot. What it is , is an old gravel mine. I spread the bee on the side of the road for about a mile, given patches of breaks a long the way.

I like this set up for pollen feeding, run the truck down the center of the road and have hives on either side .

I'm getting old 42 :) I think this is a young mans job.

I always said... I would marry a rich woman and buy her anything SHE could afford.

Well, as you can see, I'm married, my plan went to hel....
 
#22 ·
Peggjam wrote,
800 hives is alot of hives, any problems with robbing

ah...... did I leave out that I have about 3 or 4 yards like that.

I don't start stock piling till about mid oct with mine, then the out -of-state bees start showing up.

Robbing, it's not bad, we try not to feed syrup when they're that size. I feed pollen sub , starting at six a.m. and try to get out of the yard by two.

Ah heck.... it's only couple thousand hives per man, whats the big deal.
Did I mention this is a young man's job. Am, I old enough to cry old. :)
 
#25 ·
Dave wrote,
>If your pre-treatment (natural) counts were between 50 and 100, it sounds to me you needed to treat

Dave, I dont bother with natural drop. What I do is slip a sticky board in, put a 8 ga load of mitcide in, come back in the morning, and count. Been doing this way for ten plus years.Never, have I ever had a wipe out due to mites. But, then it's not good to say NEVER say NEVER.

But also have a time line to go by, that is, I dont like treating for mite while I am feeding pollen. Another old timer did that and crossed the two a little bit and you could imiage what happen.

All I know is, what has worked for me for years, no one has ever heard me complain about my bees looking poor.

I just do what works and has a good long track record of working, how does the saying go " if it aint broke don't fix it".
 
#26 ·
My theory is that every hive that dies from varroa or tracheal mites this summer is now being attributed to CCD. I've already heard several small hobbiests, keeping only a few hives claming that their hive "collapsed from a mystery plague". The only mystery in these cases is why the people never looked for varroa or tracheal mites. It's almost as though people like CCD because it absolves them of their bad keeping practices ("they collapsed...its not my fault!")
 
#29 ·
Tony wrote,
How do you go about swarm control?

Hi there Tony,

We do alot of shaking, alot. From march-- end of April.

Here's a pic of a 1000 pound load of bulk bees in march for a large Queen outfit to restock there mating nucs.

http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s35/CNHoney/?action=view&current=100_1502.jpg

These cages I made my self, I wanted something with a lot of air flow and light weight and could hold three deep frames inside.

Tony, with all the bees in Calif at that time (out-of-staters) many are looking to fill up thier boxes before they head back for home.
Keith
 
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