Joined
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3,223 Posts
Sideline beekeeper since 1969, max 40 colonies, currently have 11 colonies, not interested in having more than 20, too much work for something I enjoy.
I had several occasions of losing all my bees, first to tracheal mites in 1988, then to varroa mites in the winter of 1993/1994. I treated for varroa until 2005 when I finally found a queen that showed some mite tolerance and got some queens from Purvis that were highly mite tolerant. Since 2005, I have not treated for mites in any way at all. My bees are thriving.
I have no experience with CCD. From my perspective, it is mostly media sensationalism of the "sky is falling" type. Since I have not seen CCD, I can't speculate about the effect on me or the economy. There are several beekeepers who have been hit hard by CCD which is NOT attributable to mites. It would be best to get their opinions on this topic.
The major challenge we as beekeepers should be addressing is breeding honeybees with multiple mite tolerance traits. If we take varroa out of the equation, beekeeping becomes an enjoyable pastime or a profitable business. In my opinion, most of the heavy colony losses over the last few years were attributable to varroa mites and the diseases they carry.
The future of beekeeping is bright. We have huge demand for pollination and a good honey market. What we need most of all is a new generation of beekeepers to take over as the current group retires. There are more challenges to face today which makes it riskier than ever in the past.
We have had major losses this year to cold weather in the northern states and in Canada. These losses will mostly be made up by splits and packages. We really need to focus on the basics of good beekeeping practices.
There is plenty of room for breeding improved bees for production, disease tolerance, pest tolerance, and a wealth of other useful traits. Did I mention that we need a LOT more new beekeepers?
I had several occasions of losing all my bees, first to tracheal mites in 1988, then to varroa mites in the winter of 1993/1994. I treated for varroa until 2005 when I finally found a queen that showed some mite tolerance and got some queens from Purvis that were highly mite tolerant. Since 2005, I have not treated for mites in any way at all. My bees are thriving.
I have no experience with CCD. From my perspective, it is mostly media sensationalism of the "sky is falling" type. Since I have not seen CCD, I can't speculate about the effect on me or the economy. There are several beekeepers who have been hit hard by CCD which is NOT attributable to mites. It would be best to get their opinions on this topic.
The major challenge we as beekeepers should be addressing is breeding honeybees with multiple mite tolerance traits. If we take varroa out of the equation, beekeeping becomes an enjoyable pastime or a profitable business. In my opinion, most of the heavy colony losses over the last few years were attributable to varroa mites and the diseases they carry.
The future of beekeeping is bright. We have huge demand for pollination and a good honey market. What we need most of all is a new generation of beekeepers to take over as the current group retires. There are more challenges to face today which makes it riskier than ever in the past.
We have had major losses this year to cold weather in the northern states and in Canada. These losses will mostly be made up by splits and packages. We really need to focus on the basics of good beekeeping practices.
There is plenty of room for breeding improved bees for production, disease tolerance, pest tolerance, and a wealth of other useful traits. Did I mention that we need a LOT more new beekeepers?
