Submit your definitions for "Treatment"

[Solomon Parker]

And by extension, "treatment free", it's kinda hard to define a negative. We've had plenty of time to debate the definition, and instead of going through and copying them all down and being shot up for missing one, I'm asking you to submit definitions. There is no discussion necessary, there are two other threads for that.

Submit a one to three sentence definition of what a treatment is as it pertains to beekeeping. A specific list of products could also be an option.

After the course of a couple of weeks, I will make up a poll and we shall vote and the winner shall be the working definition to which the term "treatment" shall refer. This process shall bring to a close for the time being the argument over the definition of "treatment."

Any posts other than the what is outlined above will be deleted. Multiple submissions by the same person will be accepted. This is not a thread for discussion, there are two other threads for that.

[Solomon Parker]

Treatment: A substance placed by the beekeeper into the hive or caused by the beekeeper to be consumed by the bees, with the intent of killing or inhibiting a pest or disease within the hive or afflicting the bees.

[Solomon Parker]

Another I think should be on the list, credit to Ted:

There is no such thing as treatment free beekeeping.

[Bsweet]

Anything done or added to a hive to improve condtions within the hive.ie feeding,swarm prevention,pest control. Jim

[Ted Kretschmann]

There is no treatment free beekeeping, any manipulations, (pharmacologically or physically), that alter the natural biological status quo of the inner workings of a colony of bees can be considered a treatment. TED

[sqkcrk]

Treatment, as it pertains to beekeeping, is anything done to a hive, short of putting bees in it, intended to in any way effect the health or longevity of the colony therein.

Non-treatment would be doing nothing, short of putting a colony of bees in a hive, done to a colony of bees to positively effect the health of or longevity of the colony itself.

[Omie]

I think feeding, nutritional supplements, requeening, drone culling, checkerboarding, splitting, queen excluders, grafting, foundation use, frame swapping, honey extraction, etc etc have nothing to do with treating.
All the above are unnatural, but I don't consider them to be 'treatments'.

I think of treating as applying or feeding some substance to either kill or repel parasites or treat disease. In my view, this includes such things as formic acid, oxalic, obvious pesticides, fungicides and miticides, antibiotics and other medications, sugar shakes, mineral oil applications, or using strong essential oils (including thymol) as a mite treatment.

Just my personal viewpoint.

[Roland]

Any human interreaction with the bees, after they are hived, has an effect on the course of the hive, and therefore is a treatment. Why else would you look in the hive, but not to improve it's condition? This interferance is not found in a hive in the wild. I believe I concure(sp?) with SQKCRK and TED.

Crazy Roland

[Barry]

Treatment: A substance placed by the beekeeper into the hive or caused by the beekeeper

Give me an example of "caused by the beekeeper."

I want to write up the definition and outline for this forum.

[Solomon Parker]

I was thinking of ingredients like essential oils placed in syrup open fed. Thereby caused by the beek to end up in the hive. Trying to be thorough. Maybe not necessary.

[Omie]

I was thinking of ingredients like essential oils placed in syrup open fed. Thereby caused by the beek to end up in the hive. Trying to be thorough. Maybe not necessary.

Then maybe instead of:
"A substance placed by the beekeeper into the hive or caused by the beekeeper", it should be:
A substance placed in the hive, fed, or applied to the bees by the beekeeper.

[RiodeLobo]

Treatment: The application or use of any substance for the purpose of reducing, altering or effecting a disease, pest or nutritional deficit.

Not to start the merry-go-round again, but I think there is a distinction between management or manipulation and treatment

[Omie]

Treatment: The application or use of any substance for the purpose of reducing, altering or effecting a disease, pest or nutritional deficit.

But wouldn't all feeding of syrup and pollen patties etc then fall under treatments used to 'reduce a nutritional deficit'? Just trying to understand your definition....

I think it obviously needs to be decided whether feeding is treatment...and what kind of feeding (if any) falls within 'non-treatment'.

[NasalSponge]

I can only post what it means to me. For me treatment free, I guess you could also say chemical free means I do not put any type of chemical in my hive...for me this also include fume boards and CD case SHB traps full of roach poison. But eventually it will get down to sematics...is a SBB a treatment? How about a freeman SHB trap? Veggie oil is used in SHB traps but the bee's can not come into contact with it. I too do not consider hive manipulations as "treatments".

[RiodeLobo]

Alternate Definition:

Treatment: The application or use of any substance for the purpose of reducing, altering or effecting a disease or pest.

I am a newbie, but to me logically feeding protein and carbs would not be treatment. However the train of the thread seemed to indicate any additive is a treatment, so I included it.

[Solomon Parker]

Just definitions please, there is another thread for discussion.

[BareHoney]

Treatment here is similar to the medical definition. "Treatment"- the management and care of a patient or the combating of disease or disorder.
Thus, treatment free beekeeping is: The management practice of allowing bees to combat disease or disorder without beekeeper intervention.

[Solomon Parker]

Good work everyone, I'm going to be closing this thread at the end of the month and constructing a poll of the results. Get your definitions in if you want them included.

[Solomon Parker]

Two days remaining. Thread closes at the end of the month.

[StevenG]

TFMM - Treatment Free Mite Management, the beekeeper allows the bees to manage the mites without any input from the beekeeper, other than breeding. Breeding may be either natural (e.g. Open mating, use of ferals, etc.) or controlled (guided by the beekeeper, e.g. drone flooding, artificial insemination, grafting, etc.). (Thus no "hard", "soft", essential oils, fogging, etc etc activities)
Regards,
Steven