For the statisticians among you, what would be a statistically significant number of respondents for this poll among the 3800+ registered members?

 

if my old memory chip is still functioning a good approximate number for establishing a good statistic for a fairly large population is about 30.

 

While this may be a good way to get some answers, I think the poll may give some false conclusions. You need to have a hive count, or an equal number of beekeepers with either a large or small apiary, which you can't depend on. For example I have one hive, it survived so I had a greater than 90% survival rate, yet some one with a 90% survival rate on 100 hives means they lost 10 while I lost none with the same statistically division. The same can be said for a beekeeper with 1 hive that looses it, thats 100% loss, but only 1 hive, a 100% loss on 100 hives is 100 hives lost, which is again a great difference on the the actual number of hive losses. The results may be interesting, but I don't think you can make them statistically significant with out more documented variables. (I think, I could be wrong, it has been too long since I've actually had to work with statistics).

 

good point Robert. It would also be interesting to correlate the survival rates by zone.

But I do appreciate the work that was put into the poll. Thanks!

[ April 19, 2006, 10:28 AM: Message edited by: BerkeyDavid ]

 

Poll is important for wintering bees but hive succeeds over winter with mere sugar.
Without pollen hive cannot raise new bees in spring.

Vote is not needed. Just reed it.

.

 

SORRY POLL is enquiry

....no dead hives/20

 

Looking like a 16% wintering loss. Could be more depending on the spring. Losses are being assessed as starvation, primarily, and drone layer queens, mix the mites in there also.

Bees looking good, got queens in today to make splits upon good weather.


Seems like a good poll to me Shoefly,

 

Actually, there is no way to answer the poll if you had 100% loss. Take a look.

-Pete

 

No fair - I can't view the results because I didn't vote, but I can't vote because I don't have my bees yet!

 

So far:

more than 10% survived 2% (1)
more than 20% survived 5% (3)
more than 30% survived 6% (4)
more than 40% survived 3% (2)
more than 50% survived 10% (6)
more than 60% survived 13% (8)
more than 70% survived 11% (7)
more than 80% survived 10% (6)
more than 90% survived 41% (26)
Which climate zone are you in?
Choose 1
USDA Zone 1 and 2 Alaska, Canada 10% (6)
USDA Zone 3 International Falls, Minnesota; St. Michael, Alaska; Tomahawk, Wisconsin; Sidney, Montana 2% (1)
USDA Zone 4 Northwood, Iowa; Nebraska; Minneapolis/St.Paul, Minnesota; Lewistown, Montana 21% (13)
USDA Zone 5 Columbia, Missouri; Mansfield, Pennsylvania; Des Moines, Iowa; Illinois 30% (19)
USDA Zone 6 St. Louis, Missouri; Lebanon, Pennsylvania, McMinnville, Tennessee; Branson, Missouri 10% (6)
USDA Zone 7 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; South Boston, Virginia, Little Rock, Arkansas; Griffin, Georgia 14% (9)
USDA Zone 8 Tifton, Georgia; Dallas, Texas, Austin, Texas; Gainesville, Florida 10% (6)
USDA Zone 9 Houston, Texas; St. Augustine, Florida, Brownsville, Texas; Fort Pierce, Florida 2% (1)
USDA Zone 11 and 10 Honolulu, Hawaii; Mazatlan, Mexico, Naples, Florida; Victorville, California 3% (2)
What races of bees do you have?
Choose 7
Italians 75% (47)
Carniolian 32% (20)
Caucasian 2% (1)
Buckfast 6% (4)
Russian 17% (11)
African hybrid 0% (0)
Other 24% (15)
What type of winter preparation did you make
Choose 10
None 16% (10)
Fall and or Winter feeding 67% (42)
Apistan/Checkmite treatment 19% (12)
Nosema treatment 10% (6)
Essential oil treatment, Grease paddies 13% (8)
Thymol treatment, Apiguard, Apilife Var, 10% (6)
Wrapping of hives 25% (16)
Formic acid, oxalic acid, Mite Away2, 25% (16)
Other treatment (i.e. Sucrocide, Dowda method) 10% (6)
Indoor or shed wintering 6% (4)
If you had losses what are the most significant two causes?
Choose 2
Varroa 19% (12)
Nosema 2% (1)
AFB or EFB 2% (1)
Starvation 17% (11)
Inclement humidity 6% (4)
Inclement temperature 11% (7)
Cluster too small 33% (21)
Rodents 5% (3)
Queenlessness 14% (9)
Tracheal mites 2% (1)
Other 30% (19)

 

>>100% loss

Tough luck on your wintering PA Pete.

What happened?

[ April 20, 2006, 05:46 PM: Message edited by: Ian ]

 

artic sezs:
I think the poll may give some false conclusions.

tecumseh adds:
the statistic is only valid in regards to the population (participating beesource members) from which it is drawing information and anytime you extrapolate from this statistic to a slightly different population you would expect the error term to get quite large. so if you extrapolute the results of this poll to ALL beekeepers you might expect the results to be somewhat imprecise.

if you get enough participation (see my previous comment) in a poll and your statistic does measure what it is intended to and you have no inherent bias (ie, you are asking the proper question and the correct statistical model) the numbers will average themselves out.

 

My one and only feral hive survived. I marked other on question 5 since I didn't lose the hive. FGMO cords, patties and feeding (which they barely touched by the way). They started out low in population and this spring exploded.

David

 

Thank you for participating in the poll. I still would like to know what the 25% other honeybee races are besides Italians, Carniolian, Caucasian, Buckfast, Russian and African hybrid. Maybe I should have listed Cordovan and the Northern European black bee (feral?) as well.

 

This would probably be my list that I would expect to find in North America:

Italian. Apis mellifera ligustica.
Starline. (a particular hybrid Italian)
Cordovan. (the ones on the market are a subset of the Italians)
Caucasians. Apis mellifera caucasica.
Midnite. (Caucasian Carniolan cross)
Carniolans. Apis mellifera carnica.
Russian.
Buckfasts. (mixture of several)
German or English native bees. Apis mellifera mellifera.
Feral (mutts of unknown origin that appear to have been wild for some time).
Africanized Honey Bees (AHB).