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Am I Treatment-Free now?

6K views 14 replies 6 participants last post by  wadehump 
#1 ·
I'm approaching my 5th winter with bees. The first two autumns ('08 & '09) I fed thymolated syrup to the few hives that I had and I did a few sugar dustings.

No thymol was used after October '09

I may have done some sugar dusting in 2010 but I'm not certain. I believe I would have, but I overlooked doing them. Comb suspected to contain thymol syrup have been culled out.

2011: No treatments... went into winter with eight colonies and seven made it to spring.

I don't practice any drone management for mites.

Would my colonies be considered treatment free at this point?
 
#3 ·
Would my colonies be considered treatment free at this point?
In what sense? Do you want to know if they are considered treatment free by this forum's standards?

The purpose is to define the topic. Everyone keeps their hives however they like and no one is setting rules as to how anyone can keep their bees. The Treatment-Free Beekeeping Forum is not a standard or a certification program or a benchmark. It is a forum with the purpose of discussing how to keep bees without helping them cope with disease.
The definition is there. You may evaluate your own operation at your leisure.

Or do you want to know for some other reason, in some other context?
 
#7 ·
I was simply looking for a little feedback. I know that the forum is not a certifying body.

Had I fed thymol in syrup last year I wouldn't consider my colonies to be chemical free, and obviously, not treatment free ...
 
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