medicating at package introduction

[MT Don]

Do you medicate for Nosema and Foulbrood when you start a colony with a package?

I have read that some do and others are silent on medication.

Thanks, Don

[Michael Bush]

I do not medicate for Nesema. I have never medicated for Nosema in 39 years of keeping bees. I have not medicated for Foulbrood for 38 years and only did the first year because I was scared into it by all the books.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfoursimplesteps.htm

[DC Bees]

There is an article in Bee Culture from a very experienced beekeeper about treating packages.Out of ten packages that he purchased almost all where crashing from mites there first year.

[DC Bees]

My first year I bought into all that stuff as well.Later after much reading,"some from you're site ",I decided not to treat and to start keeping nucs around.

[Bush_84]

Couldn't you just use powdered sugar while they were still in the package? Would be pretty easy at least that covers mites.

[Vance G]

Don do you rush out and get a big shot of antibiotic because you are moving into a new house? Provide a clean house and buy bees from a trustworthy source. Western Bee gets good clean packages. They would like to sell you medication, but that does not mean the packages need them!

[beemandan]

Most commercial package suppliers treat for nosema and foulbroods. I wouldn't worry about that....now mites might be another story.
If you wanted you could dust them with powdered sugar or spray w/oxalic acid.....of course you didn't hear that from me.
Specific to package bees:
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/vi...tomologyfacpub

[FlowerPlanter]

Oxalic acid mixed in sugar as a dribble or spray can be very hard on bees when they eat it. And it can kill the bees if its too cold out.

You could do a sugar roll of 300 bees/1 cup to see were your mite are. And if it's high you could do the whole group while in the cage.

Know what the symptoms are for the diseases are and check for them.

You might want a Screen Bottom Board. You can tell allot about a hive by what in the bottom.

[HTC]

Good question and I am looking for answers all so. I am going to buy a few more packages in the spring and all so would like to know if a producer of packages treats for foulbrood is he suppressing it or just for prevention. How do you find out?
If he treats at all why?

[Ian]

treating with OA before they brood will take care of pretty much all the mites that came for the ride with the package. cheap, nearly 100% and easy on the bees

[squarepeg]

i've never bought a package. but if they come in a screened box it would be real easy to sugar dust before hiving them.

[jbeshearse]

i've never bought a package. but if they come in a screened box it would be real easy to sugar dust before hiving them.

Poor girls, shaken from their home, thrown in a cage with a stange monarch, shipped halfway across the country in bumpy non temperature controlled trucks. Now you want to dump sugar on them and shake them up, banging them against one another and their dead sisters?

Then dump em in a big empty box and ask them to stay.....

Sounds like a plan......

Actually, I don't think the screen is very condusive to shaking mites off and you would have to remove the queen and feed can before doing so. They will have already had a massive brood break. I would not think mites should be much of a concern. Stress more so.

[squarepeg]

makes sense jb, i have no clue.

i guess it's best to buy from a reputable source, and keep an good eye on 'em.

the op was asking about antibiotics though, not sure i see the point there if they were healthy to begin with.

[Mike Gillmore]

If a package supplier sells bees and the customer has to be concerned about Foulbrood and Nosema, they won't be in business very long. If you don't have confidence that your dealer is providing healthy bees it's time to find a new package source.

If the supplier is registered then his bees have been inspected and stamped with a clean bill of health.

Mites is another story.