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238 Posts
I have 2 hives. I just finished Checkmite + treatment on them a couple weeks ago. That is the only hard chemicals I have ever treated these hives with, nothing for AFB or Nosema. After reading the many posts here, and doing some additional study, I am on the verge of going hard chemical free. I have ordered nucs, put out letters and ads for swarm calls and made swarm traps and intend to make splits if able, to increase my hives. It is my intention to produce honey and perhaps in the future (2 to 3 years from now) nucs and queens as a sideline in my farm business. I have come to think that a small sideliner like I intend to be would do best serving the higher end of the market. That seems to me to be what is touted as "organic" or treatment free honey and on the bee side survivior stock, mite resistant and untreated bees. All that may be a misconception on my part, but it is how I think I want to position myself in the market. My question is can I use my current hives to grow with since they have been treated? If after a season or two of non treatment and frame rotation, could I then label any honey from those hives as treatment free? I know this year is out since I just pulled the strips, but what about next year? How long after you stop treatment, is your opperation considered chemical free? Or do I just set those 2 hives aside and focus on the new hives? I am guessing I'll need to scrap the little bit of wax I have and rotate the current frames out of opperation? What advice can you give and am I all wet in thinking this is the high end of the market, the place where a sideliner could be the most profitable? Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to sound crass or purely commercialy motivated. I understand and support the higher goals of going treatment free (breeding a bee that will survive the mites and not having crap chemical residue in the honey), but this is a business venture too. All input is greatly appreciated!