From MAILER-DAEMON Sat Feb 28 10:27:36 2009 Return-Path: <> X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.1.8 (2007-02-13) on industrial X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-90.3 required=2.4 tests=AWL,MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR, SPF_HELO_PASS,USER_IN_WHITELIST autolearn=disabled version=3.1.8 X-Original-To: adamf@IBIBLIO.ORG Delivered-To: adamf@IBIBLIO.ORG Received: from listserv.albany.edu (unknown [169.226.1.24]) by metalab.unc.edu (Postfix) with ESMTP id 87FDB4907F for ; Sat, 28 Feb 2009 10:24:52 -0500 (EST) Received: from listserv.albany.edu (listserv.albany.edu [169.226.1.24]) by listserv.albany.edu (8.13.8/8.13.8) with ESMTP id n1SF1MM8014128 for ; Sat, 28 Feb 2009 10:24:52 -0500 (EST) Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2009 10:24:50 -0500 From: "University at Albany LISTSERV Server (14.5)" Subject: File: "BEE-L LOG0609A" To: adamf@IBIBLIO.ORG Message-ID: Content-Length: 60476 Lines: 1440 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2006 06:43:35 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Michael Palmer Subject: Re: Painted bees In-Reply-To: <9D95C2906FCCE04F836ECA17C4CE092108BE1091@UAEXCH.univ.alban y.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-125A37E2 > but based on the bees I observed working Spotted Jewelweel (Impatiens > capensis), Some of the bees enter in upside down which would leave a stripe un the under side, Well, I'm glad the riddle has been solved. Now if only I can stop myself from spending too much time looking for "understripers." :-) Next time I'm at the VBA workshop yard in Burlington, where Pale Jewelweed grows, I'll check to see if that is the source of the yellow stripers. Would figure. Mike -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.6/428 - Release Date: 8/25/2006 -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2006 12:19:05 GMT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: "waldig@netzero.com" Subject: Re: OA and open brood. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit >>See caveat on oxalic acid here: http://www.stratford-upon- avon.freeserve.co.uk/Newsletters/April2006.htm Thank you, Peter. I would expect some brood kill. I believe the recommended rate from Finland that I've used with excellent results is 4 ml per bee space (the Greek study used 5 ml) but perhaps this difference does not affect the results much. I would also apply only one treatment - has been very effective for me and I've read repeated treatments can cause queen problems. Perhaps this explains the Greek observations of 4 months of brood problems. I have a couple of other options. Treat with sucrocide which I did not find effective 2 years ago (and I thought I saw decreased brood rearing). Or wait until November and treat then. It would be useful to see how the bees from my queen cope with varroa pressure... Waldemar Long Island, NY -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2006 12:39:34 GMT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: "waldig@netzero.com" Subject: Re: Painted bees Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit >>Himalayan Balsam. This showy, tall (over 6') annual with a very thick trunk grows by me. The plants on dry land only seem to attract bumble bees. I suspect this plant secretes best on wet soils. Waldemar Long Island, NY -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2006 10:09:25 EDT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: George Williams Subject: Charcoal and Light Gray Queen? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit After only having more or less golden colored Italian queens forever. (15 years) I have recently obtained an bred Italian queen, she's the typically yellow and black stripe kind. This queen produced several queens for me that were dark brown. I know that dark brown queens do occur in Italians but I've never had one before. These were open mated. Consequently one of these dark browns has just produced some charcoal and gray colored daughters! Can anyone give me a clue as to what genetics (Old Black German, Russian, Midnite etc.) these girls are mixing with? George in Florida -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2006 11:03:36 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Glen_Glater?= Subject: roofers working near hives Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit My hives (2) are located next to my neighbor's garage, which is being re-roofed. Can anyone offere tips about how to deal with things like the stripping of the old shingles and installation of the new ones around the bees? Thanks. --glen -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2006 08:21:54 -0700 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Mike Stoops Subject: Re: Charcoal and Light Gray Queen? In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit George Williams wrote: These were open mated. Can anyone give me a clue as to what genetics these girls are mixing with? George in Florida What part of Florida George? Are you in the Africanized zone? Mike in LA --------------------------------- Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Make PC-to-Phone Calls to the US (and 30+ countries) for 2¢/min or less. -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 10:46:01 +0800 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Peter Detchon Subject: Re: Another mite? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Peter Edwards asked about mites seen on A.mellifera in India that were = not V.destructor, and pictured in the following link.=20 http://www.stratfordbeekeepers.homecall.co.uk/asianmites.jpg I forwarded the info to Dr Denis Anderson at CSIRO in Canberra who is = THE expert on honeybee mites and who was responsible for identifying the = Varroa destructor as a unique haplotype separate from Varroa jacobsonii, = with which it had formerly been confused. This was his reply to me. Hi Peter,=20 They are phoretic mites that are harmless to Apis mellifera. I cannot = give the exact species without looking at them closer, but these mites = are common throughout Asia. In some instances I have seen them living = and reproducing between the new shoots of banana plants. They may do = the same with other plants. They jump onto foraging Apis mellifera when = they visit the plants and use Apis mellifera to disperse through the = environment. Sometimes they can reach huge numbers inside the hives. Denis. -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2006 21:54:48 -0500 Reply-To: scot.mcpherson@gmail.com Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Scot Mc Pherson Organization: The Mc Pherson Family Honey Farms Subject: Re: Charcoal and Light Gray Queen? In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit George, Where in Florida are you located. All of my queens when I was keeping bees in florida also inched closer to the darker side with each generation. They also increased in uniformity between colonies as well. Each generation also worked longer hours than the generation before. Last year before I moved to Iowa, and I believe today marks the 1st anniversery of that move, my bees would be foraging as much as 1 hour before dawn and as long as 45 minutes after dusk. I believe your bees are still italian, italians are often darker, my bees today are quite dark and are quite italian. -- Scot McPherson The McPherson Family Honey Farms Davenport, Iowa USA -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 07:40:53 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Michael Palmer Subject: Re: OA and open brood. In-Reply-To: <026e01c6cd4c$826ae550$e9cf6a58@office> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-29BB2F9D > Waldemar asked: >>Is there any risk from the OA treatment to open brood or very young >>laying queens? Waldemar, I wrote to an honeybee scientist/entomology professor I know, who has been studying Oxalic acid use for Varroa control. I asked about multiple treatments and brood kill. Here is what he wrote back. The most intense test that we did was 3 treatments at 7 day intervals in July using a 6% solution (much stronger than needed). We did not see any evidence of brood or adult bee injury and we examined the colonies carefully. We also found that we were not able to control mites very effectively when colonies had 7 or more frames of brood. The only thing I can tell confidently is that treating broodless colonies 1X with 50 ml of a 3% solution is highly effective if treatments are applied between 32 -55 degrees F. I don't know why the difference between the Greek study and the US study. Mike -- Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.6/428 - Release Date: 8/25/2006 -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 08:36:02 EDT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: George Williams Subject: Re: Charcoal and Light Gray Queen? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 9/1/2006 10:40:12 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, mws1112004@YAHOO.COM writes: What part of Florida George? Are you in the Africanized zone? No, I am not in an officially recognized Africanized area. And to my knowledge no AHB's are known to be in or around my area. But I expect that is coming to me soon. I suspect that these queens are fathered by a drone from a feral hive that is carrying an old German dominate trait for black color and possibly German aggressiveness too. The progeny of the dark brown queens are not particularly defensive and are to my experience no more aggressive than usual. I don't keep "hot" bees at all regardless of color! However, I don't really care what color queens are as long as I can find them easily and I can live with the workers. What I'm concerned with, is that these ladies are more or less Russian or some other strain that won't buildup fast enough in the spring for the citrus bloom. If I was sure they were slow in building up I would not go into the winter with them. Every three to four years I get new Italians (I think they work best for me) and then I produce my own queens for the next few years. I've always open mated them and have noticed and occasional black worker and wondered about it. Superceding has been an ongoing phenomena for me this season so I keep up with who is laying and frequently find that I have unmarked queens and or queen-less hives showing up. The few charcoal gray queens haven't started laying yet- sooo I'll be watching for aggressive behaviors. Incidentally some of the dark queens half-sisters are as blond as they can be with very faint dark lines. I'm located reasonably close to numerous successful commercial beekeepers who are queen breeders. Some of their yards (35 miles NW of Orlando) are within a 10 mile radius of my yard. The one I rely on most is traveling with his bees now and won't be back for a couple of months yet, or I would have just popped over to him with my question. George W -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 10:35:45 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Lloyd Spear Subject: OA MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline While Mike Palmer's latest report is very good news and is important, it does not address the point of brood kill if OA is applied when brood is present. Mike, in part you quoted "The only thing I can tell confidently is that treating broodless colonies 1X with 50 ml of a 3% solution is highly effective if treatments are applied between 32 -55 degrees F." I just want to make certain the temperature range is 32-55F, as heretofore I understood we needed at least 50F. Please assure us this is not a typing error! Lloyd -- Lloyd Spear Owner Ross Rounds, Inc. Manufacture of equipment for round comb honey sections, Sundance Pollen Traps, and producer of Sundance custom labels. Contact your dealer or www.RossRounds.com -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 13:51:26 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Bill Truesdell Subject: Re: OA In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Lloyd Spear wrote: > > I just want to make certain the temperature range is 32-55F, as > heretofore I > understood we needed at least 50F. Please assure us this is not a typing > error! Getting treatments mixed up. OA is good down to freezing. I think the 50F may be thymol, formic and other treatments which rely on vapor. What is being discussed here is OA drip application. The key with OA is to treat when the colony is broodless or nearly so, which means November here in Maine. The temperature is not the important factor. Bill Truesdell Bath, maine -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 14:29:28 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Michael Palmer Subject: Re: OA In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-544272A3 > as heretofore I >understood we needed at least 50F. No, no error. Oxalic acid may be used effectively at minimum temps of 5 degrees above zeroF. Mike -- Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.6/428 - Release Date: 8/25/2006 -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 16:19:28 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Michael Palmer Subject: Re: OA In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-261E3B76 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Of course, I meant Oxalic could be used effectively to 5 degrees above zero C, not F. Bill Said: The key with OA is to treat when the colony is broodless or nearly so, which means November here in Maine. True, but Oxalic can also be vaporized. Multiple treatments don't damage the bees as with trickle. So, I suppose you could vaporize before the broodless period, with the final treatment in mid-November. Komppa-Seppälä, from Finland, spoke of this last year, on this list. Multiple vapor treatments in the fall, with the last at broodless period. Mike Mike -- Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.6/428 - Release Date: 8/25/2006 -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 18:11:44 EDT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Chris Slade Subject: Re: OA MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 02/09/2006 19:38:01 GMT Standard Time, mpalmer@TOGETHER.NET writes: No, no error. Oxalic acid may be used effectively at minimum temps of 5 degrees above zeroF. That's about minus 15 centigrade! Doesn't this low a temperature tend to freeze, a) the OA solution, b) the beekeeper c) the bees? Chris -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 19:22:51 -0700 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Dee Lusby Subject: Re: Another mite? In-Reply-To: <005f01c6ce39$f2381fe0$0200a8c0@homestead1> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Hi Peter: Denis wrote "They are phoretic mites that are harmless to Apis mellifera. I cannot give the exact species without looking at them closer, but these mites are common throughout Asia. Reply: As varroa started out this way and then it's harmonious relationship changed, which I will not go into as this is water under the bridge now, but if these mites are common throughout Asia and bees from foreign soils are now coming into the USA for pollenation work........then it needs to be spelled out for beekeepers since there are many mites in the world, which are harmless and which are not as found in todays beekeeping hives like the picture you showed here. So question: How to ID them then to tell apart? I say this because beekeepers see mites or what they think of a mites and then want to use treatments which is bad if it is not necessary and it is a harmless co-existance......... Another scenario that comes to mind here is Braula coeco....To the normal beekeeper's eyes the difference between the harmless bee-louse and dangerous varroa is small, - unless he/she has bery good eyesight. Very few beekeepers eyees are sharp enought to tell the two apart - never mind count the legs, and the two species will and are confused unless magnified by a lens or microscope. So could you please ask Denis how to tell apart, as I am sure the matter will probably come up in the future and beekeepers need to be propared so they can keep treatments not necessary out of beehives due to increased contamination worries worldwide. Respectfully submitted, Dee A. Lusby Small Cell Commercial Beekeeper Moyza, Arizona http://groups.yahoo.com/group/organicbeekeepers/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 3 Sep 2006 07:39:15 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Michael Palmer Subject: Re: OA In-Reply-To: <3b4.665c734.322b5ba0@aol.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-54B66FE > That's about minus 15 centigrade! Obviously a typo. I meant zero C. Mike -- Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.6/428 - Release Date: 8/25/2006 -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 3 Sep 2006 09:01:18 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Bill Truesdell Subject: Re: OA and open brood. In-Reply-To: <026e01c6cd4c$826ae550$e9cf6a58@office> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Peter Edwards wrote: > See caveat on oxalic acid here: > http://www.stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk/Newsletters/April2006.htm From the article: "A 3% w/v solution (70g oxalic : 1kg sugar : 1 litre water) was trickled at a dose of 5ml per seam; this is within the usual range of dosage that is recommended. The treatment was then repeated after a 13 day interval; this is not usually recommended. There was considerable brood damage. 12.6% of young brood (< 3 day old) and 9.5% of older brood was removed by the bees after the first application. The figures for the second application were a further 10.6% and 5.6% respectively. Perhaps more significantly, the open brood area was reduced by 17.5% for 2 months after the treatment. It is also known that the effect of applying oxalic solution by spraying will affect brood rearing for 4 months and I would expect the application by vaporising oxalic crystals (which is becoming increasingly popular) to have at least the same effect." This appears to be twice the strength used normally, two applications instead of one, and no limit of 50ml per colony, so is it really a legitimate caution? The studies I have seen say that high concentrations do cause bee mortality, so this just confirms it. Bill Truesdell Bath, Maine -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 3 Sep 2006 18:13:14 +0100 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Peter Edwards Subject: Re: OA and open brood. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=response Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Bill Truesdell wrote: > This [3% w/v] appears to be twice the strength used normally, two > applications instead of one, and no limit of 50ml per colony, so is it > really a legitimate caution? The studies I have seen say that high > concentrations do cause bee mortality, so this just confirms it. Is 3% twice the normal strength? It is in line with what I have seen recommended and I have certainly not seen 1.5% anywhere. Certainly many caution against more than one application, but I have seen others talking about weekly doses until mite drop reduces! 5ml per seam was quoted, so in an 11 frame box this would limit the dose to 50ml. Of more interest than adult bee or brood mortality may be the impact on brood rearing over a longer period of time - this was my main reason for quoting the study. Best wishes Peter Edwards beekeepers@stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk www.stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk/ -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 20:12:02 -0700 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Mike Stoops Subject: Re: Charcoal and Light Gray Queen? In-Reply-To: <3bf.a2a4a5c.322ad4b2@aol.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit George Williams wrote: What I'm concerned with, is that these ladies are more or less Russian or some other strain that won't buildup fast enough in the spring for the citrus bloom. Superceding has been an ongoing phenomena for me this season Aren't Caucasian bees dark and/or grey? If of Russian derivation, might try open feeding dilute sugar syrup and pollen substitute about a month and a half before the orange blossom season begins. Some of beekeepers in the south west part of Alabama are having trouble with supercedure and queenlessness. And it doesn't even seem to have any correllation between old drawn brood frames (contamination?) and newly drawn brood frames where no treatment has been given. Haven't found any causes yet. We're looking and trying to find cause/s but, having no hypothesis, it's kinda hard. Mike in LA (Lower Alabama) --------------------------------- Get your email and more, right on the new Yahoo.com -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 3 Sep 2006 16:04:53 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: =?UTF-8?Q?Peter_Borst?= Subject: Re: Another mite? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Dee Lusby wrote: >Another scenario that comes to mind here is Braula >coeco....To the normal beekeeper's eyes the difference >between the harmless bee-louse and dangerous varroa is >small, - unless he/she has bery good eyesight. I doubt anyone would mistake a Braula coeca for a varroa. see http://maarec.cas.psu.edu/pest&disease/sl44.html -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 3 Sep 2006 22:09:40 +0100 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Peter Edwards Subject: Re: Another mite? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="UTF-8"; reply-type=original Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Dee Lusby wrote: >>Another scenario that comes to mind here is Braula >>coeco....To the normal beekeeper's eyes the difference >>between the harmless bee-louse and dangerous varroa is >>small, - unless he/she has bery good eyesight. Surely they are easy to distinguish by behaviour and position on the bees? No need to count their legs! Best wishes Peter Edwards beekeepers@stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk www.stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk/ -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 3 Sep 2006 17:16:36 -0500 Reply-To: scot.mcpherson@gmail.com Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Scot Mc Pherson Organization: The Mc Pherson Family Honey Farms Subject: Re: Another mite? In-Reply-To: <01eb01c6cf9d$45794b70$75f36a58@office> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >>> Surely they are easy to distinguish by behaviour and position on the bees? No need to count their legs! Surely you are right if the beekeeper already knows the difference. If a beekeeper does not, then that beekeeper might take measures to eradicate a varroa problem when they had none at all. -- Scot McPherson The McPherson Family Honey Farms Davenport, Iowa USA -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 3 Sep 2006 18:21:45 EDT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Chris Slade Subject: Re: OA and open brood. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 03/09/2006 14:41:55 GMT Standard Time, bhfarms@SUSCOM-MAINE.NET writes: The treatment was then repeated after a 13 day interval; this is not usually recommended. There was considerable brood damage. Perhaps a better approach would be to remove/destroy whatever brood there is and treat once only. Chris -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 3 Sep 2006 22:16:30 EDT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: George Williams Subject: Re: Charcoal and Light Gray Queen? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Mike, Thanks for your replies. Interesting that LA is lower Alabama and not Los Angeles or Louisiana, I don't know what colors are typical for each strain. However my nearest queen breeder has his Russian yard less that 2 miles from me. It's reasonable that my 2nd and 3rd generations are getting some Russian escorts. At your suggestion I will be waking them up early next spring. Regards George W -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 3 Sep 2006 17:52:39 -0700 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Dee Lusby Subject: Re: Another mite? In-Reply-To: <20060903022251.53980.qmail@web51614.mail.yahoo.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit You might be surprised going to meetings or visiting others to see what they are looking at........can be frightening at times... So again.....how are non-harmful mites on bodies of bees identified to not be varroa family, etc? and how many are there around the world by the way? Respectfully submitted, Dee A. Lusby Small Cell Commercial Beekeeper Moyza, Arizona http://groups.yahoo.com/group/organicbeekeepers/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 16:09:24 GMT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: "waldig@netzero.com" Subject: Re: Roof work... Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit >>Can anyone offere tips about how to deal with things like the stripping of the old shingles and installation of the new ones around the bees? I'd attach a tarp just under the garage roof and suspend it over the hives. The workers should be able to strip the roof and take the tarp down in the evening. Typical bees should not fly up over the tarp and go after the roofers if the hives are not hit with debris. Waldemar -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 17:36:34 GMT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: "waldig@netzero.com" Subject: Re: OA and open brood. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit >>...most intense test ... using a 6% solution... Thanks, Mike! >>We did not see any evidence of brood or adult bee injury... I believe OA reduces the life span of adult bees but this is only my subjective observation. I have no way of measuring this. I've decided not to treat at this time. I have 4 virgin queens from a feral queen that came from a house that - according to the homeowner - has had bees for the last 12 years. The house was about 50 yards from the sea shore which means they essentially had half of the typical forage area so they had to fly further. Despite this the colony was in good shape; good stores, no visible mites or DWS. When the virgins mate and raise brood, I plan to see how they cope with the varroa pressure. If the mite loads are high, I plan to OA treat in Nov./Dec. Waldemar Long Island, NY -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 14:28:19 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Randy_Oliver?= Subject: oxalic acid Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit I'm hearing questions about oxalic. I'm going to be publishing an article on its use in ABJ this winter, and have started compiling notes. I thought I'd put them out to you all for your information, and comments. IMO, we're still early on the learning curve with oxalic, despite considerable European research. Oxalic acid syrup notes (© Randy Oliver 2006): Oxalic acid is a natural component of honey and vegetables. It apparently acts as a contact poison to mites, and is about 70 times as toxic to mites as it is to bees. It needs to be mixed in sugar syrup to be effective, and is transferred fairly well throughout the colony by the bees. Oxalic acid dihydrate (not dehydrate) can be purchased in any paint department as "wood bleach." Check the ingredients label, or call the manufacturer to make sure there are no added ingredients. (Oxalic acid dihyrate is 71.4% pure oxalic acid.) It can be purchased cheaply in bulk (less than $1/lb) from chemical supply houses. Oxalic application: Oxalic is best applied as a dribble, not a spray. To apply with a garden sprayer (we especially like the Gilmour funnel-top "BackSaver" 1-gal model) , pump up a medium pressure, then back off the nozzle adjustment until you get a solid, weak stream that shoots out several inches, and doesn't splash when it hits the bees. Use a graduated cylinder or measuring cup to calibrate how many ml your sprayer puts out per second. Then figure how many total seconds of "trigger on" you need to apply the dose. I adjust the pressure and nozzle so that the right dose per frame is applied in 1 second, then I squirt for 1 second down each "seam" of bees between the frames. When dribbling, the best results will likely be from squirting the dose directly on each seam, with the wand in line with the frames. It helps me aim to let the dribble squirt out at a low angle about 3-4 inches before it hits the bees (you can drag the tip between the frames, but you get more splashing that way). Syrup that lands on the frame tops does not count--the bees don't touch it! Don't worry if your aim is off at first, it will improve with a little practice. Research indicates that it's not critical to apply the syrup evenly--the bees will move it around (but it's probably better to apply it to evenly). Total dose per colony is the most important thing. We usually work in pairs, first working ahead to break the brood boxes apart, then returning for one person to tip the upper brood chambers back and the other working the sprayer. Ideally, we'd squirt each box of bees, but this year we're only squirting the box with the most bees., adjusting the dose per seam to reflect the total population (e.g., squirt 1 sec/frame if you're treating both boxes; 2 sec/frame if you're only dribbling half the bees). It's easy to treat a colony per minute, and not hard to move twice that fast! One large beekeeper reports that he gets better results squirting both boxes of bees. We find that two of us can treat 500 colonies before lunch, dribbling tops only of busting colonies with bees across the top, and splitting colonies not showing bees below the lid. The bees normally do not react defensively to being dribbled with syrup. What you will notice, though, is that if the bees are heavily mite infested, and look dull and listless, within a week after an oxalic dribble they will look bright and peppy. I know that "peppy" is not a scientific term, but you'll see what I mean. Mites will start falling dead in about a day, then heavy fall on day 2 and 3, then tapering off to about day 7. Oxalic acid is well researched for a December broodless application. Accurately measure 3ml of solution per seam of bees, and treat only one time, or you can harm your colonies. E.g., for a colony with 10 frames covered with bees, dribble a total of 30 ml of solution. Mite kill is 90% or greater! Summertime application is more forgiving. Use about 5ml per seam. Measurement is far less critical; you can apply far more (or stronger solution), and repeat treatments weekly 3 times without apparent harm. I qualify this statement, since some European research indicates a lingering effect of oxalic killing brood to some extent. We haven't observed this to be significant, but are watching (see www.stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk/Newsletters/April2006.htm). Mite kill with 3 treatments a week apart is 60% or better. We need more research in this area (we're currently observing a group that we treated at 5-day intervals)! Tip: you're stuck if your sprayer malfunctions--take more than one to outyards. Mixing the oxalic syrup: See the safety tips below. Mix in a sink where you can rinse everything off. Oxalic crystals do not measure well by volume, so you must have a scale accurate to 1 gram to measure it. For amounts less than a gallon, weigh the crystals., then pour them into a quart or gallon jar with a plastic lid. Add half the warm water, and shake 'til oxalic is completely dissolved, then add sugar, and the rest of the water. Shake until all the sugar is dissolved before putting the solution into a sprayer--undissolved crystals will clog the sprayer! It's tempting to mix everything in the sprayer, but you'd be inviting problems. The solution forms bee-toxic HMF in warm weather, so use within a week, or refrigerate for prolonged storage. Discard the solution if it starts to turn brown. It's cheap, so make plenty, then dispose of any excess down the drain, or neutralize with baking soda. Common Sense Safety: Don't forget that oxalic acid is a poison!!! The MSDS states: "Harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through skin. Corrosive - causes burns. Very destructive of mucous membranes. May cause congenital malformation in the foetus... Avoid contact with metals." The LD50 is about 375mg/kg, which means that if you were to drink 3 cups of 3.5% solution, it could kill you! Fortunately, oxalic does not vaporize unless you heat it quite hot (oxalic vaporizers are dangerous since you can inhale fumes and kill yourself--vaporized oxalic is three times as deadly as formic acid). Handle the crystals very carefully, with chemical gloves and glasses. Luckily, oxalic crystals are damp and don't float in the air. Wash your hands and all surfaces before you rub your eyes or pick your nose! Mix and store oxalic acid solutions in glass or plastic containers, not metal (most common plastics are resistant to dilute acids). Clearly label any container of solution. Minimally state: "Poison 3.5% oxalic acid" Once the solution is mixed, it's much safer to handle (for what it's worth, the 3.5% solution is only about twice the oxalic acid concentration naturally occurring in chives, parsley, and rhubarb!). But be especially careful not to splash it into your eyes, or breathe any sprayer mist. Dribble it at arm's length, and keep your face away. If it gets on your skin, wash it off with water. Tip: if you question whether any acid is still on your skin after rinsing, just touch your tongue to your skin. If it tastes tart (like lemonade), there's still acid remaining (kids, I'm not telling you to drink the stuff!). Make sure you always have jugs of water handy to wash off spills--especially in outyards. Baking soda in the water will neutralize any acid. Don't use oxalic unless you have plenty of wash water at hand! Make sure you use low pressure with the sprayer, so solution doesn't splash or mist. When using a garden sprayer, make sure you release the tank pressure between yards (or applications), so no one gets sprayed in the eyes by bumping the trigger accidentally! Formulas: (The following formulas are for w:w solutions of the dihyrate.) To make approx. 1½ cups 3.5% oxalic acid solution (enough for 5-10 treatments), first completely dissolve 16.5 grams oxalic acid crystals in 1 cup warm water, then add 1 cup granulated sugar, and mix 'til clear. To make approx. 3¼ cups 3.5% oxalic acid solution (enough for 10-20 treatments), first completely dissolve 33 g oxalic acid crystals in 2 cups warm water, then add 2 cups granulated sugar. To make approx 1 gallon (treats 50-100 colonies) of 3.5% oxalic acid w:w solution: dissolve 165 g oxalic acid in 5 pints warm water, add 5 pounds sugar. Or mix one 12-oz tub with 1 gal + 1 qt warm water and add 10 lbs sugar (makes about 2 gallons; treats 80 strong summer doubles, 40 strong summer singles, or 145 8-frame mid-winter colonies). Commercial beekeepers: you can dissolve the oxalic in a little warm water and top off with syrup. © Randy Oliver 2006 -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 20:24:01 GMT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: "waldig@netzero.com" Subject: Re: oxalic acid Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Randy, Here are some comments. >>...acts as a contact poison to mites... I've read in some places that, when the bees ingest OA/sugar syrup, it changes their blood pH. As mites suck the blood or perhaps lose the taste for the altered blood, it causes them to die. >>Syrup that lands on the frame tops does not count--the bees don't touch it! Perhaps not initially but eventually they clean it up. I think it must, at least temporarily, end up in their stomachs. When I checked a hive once after a treatment, I saw freshly deposited OA syrup in cells. There had been no flying weather since the treatment. >>Ideally, we'd squirt each box of bees, but this year we're only squirting the box with the most bees. When broodless, bees are typically in 2 deeps. To treat both boxes, first treat the upper deep under the inner cover. Then, replace the inner cover, separate the hive from the bottom board, tip it over and treat from underneath. No need to separate the two deeps. >>Tip: if you question whether any acid is still on your skin after rinsing, just touch your tongue to your skin. This is not good advice [although the concentration could be harmless]. It's like asking a person to put a finger to a potentially live wire to see if it's 'hot.' Just wash your hands with soap or better yet wear cheap, disposable rubber gloves. I have a tip for small scale beekeepers: estimate how many bee spaces the bees in all my hives/nucs occupy and make 10% extra solution. I weigh off the corresponding amount of OA, sugar, water on a gram scale and mix up the solution until the OA is all dissolved. You will waste very little sugar solution. In my opinion, dribbling is the easiest, safest, and arguably most accurate (as far as the 'point of use') method. Waldemar Long Island, NY -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 17:59:03 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Dick Shaw Subject: Re: Roof work... In-Reply-To: <20060905.091011.4551.730406@webmail25.nyc.untd.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I just had my roof replaced including a teardown. The bees were about 20 feet away from the roof and were not a bother. If closer maybe so. Dick 6 colonies in middle of Memphis, TN -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2006 21:14:47 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Kent Stienburg Subject: Hot hive MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hey all, I wrote in about a month ago regarding some hot bees I received from Hawaii. Well, they're still damn hot. However, I've just finished extracting for the year here in Eastern Ontario. The hot hive produced 7 shallow supers for a total of 232 lbs of honey. Less cappings so the actual figure is slightly lower. The Russian hive produced 194 lbs from 6 boxes and my mutts each produced on average138 lbs. They are lower due to requeening. The weights were found by measuring before and after weights of the supers. I went out a few days ago to prepare to requeen them and after locating the queen I noticed I was covered by a considerable amount of angry bees. Great hive for honey but just to dangerous to have around. Put local Russian queen in today. Oh, and had quite a few of my kids friends and families over to watch the extraction this time. Normally I like to do it myself, you know listen to music and consume a few wobbly pops :) but sold a lot of honey with every one over so I think I will do it again. Gave the kids all a small container to have and they eat it all right then and there. Wow, what a sugar rush. If they weren't hyper before they sure were when they left :) Hope everyone had a great year. Kent -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2006 07:11:19 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Michael Palmer Subject: Re: OA and open brood. In-Reply-To: <20060905.103707.713.631203@webmail13.nyc.untd.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-2A06A31; boundary="=======AVGMAIL-44FFFE6A0FBB=======" --=======AVGMAIL-44FFFE6A0FBB======= Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-2A06A31 > I believe OA reduces the life span of adult bees but this is only my >subjective observation. I have no way of measuring this. Perhaps this is so. In Randy's report, he states that multiple OA trickle treatments don't harm the bees. Others present conflicting reports, both positive and negative. Where it might do harm would be with the winter bees. Two years ago, I OA trickled my over wintering nucs. I killed nearly 70% doing so. I don't think they had a cleansing flight afterward, so maybe that was the problem. But, that's the trickle method. The vapor method is easier on the bees, and can be repeated. The vapor method can be used at anytime of the year, provided the temps are 3 -5 deg above freezing. For best control, treat colonies after they are broodless. Getting them to that point without crashing from PMS is the hard part. Colonies with a light mite load will make it, but not those with moderate or heavy mite load. Three vapor treatments, 7 days apart, will kill enough of the mite population to get the colony to the broodless period. A final treatment at that time will achieve 90+% kill. See these sites: http://www.mellifera.de/engl2.htm http://www.members.shaw.ca/orioleln/Oxalic_Acid.htm Talking with Heinz at the second site, he tells me that there is no damage to the open brood. I guess the first site has links to tests done in Switzerland, but they are in German. Waldemar, do you read German? I'll be treating some colonies next week, and will check for brood damage in the week following treatment. Mike -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- --=======AVGMAIL-44FFFE6A0FBB======= Content-Type: text/plain; x-avg=cert; charset=us-ascii; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-2A06A31 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline Content-Description: "AVG certification" No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.7/436 - Release Date: 9/1/2006 -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- --=======AVGMAIL-44FFFE6A0FBB=======-- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2006 12:40:34 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Randy_Oliver?= Subject: OA Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Randy, Thanks, Waldemar >>>>>>I've read in some places that, when the bees ingest OA/sugar syrup, it changes their blood pH. As mites suck the blood or perhaps lose the taste for the altered blood, it causes them to die.> This was an early hypothesis that I think Nick Aliano's work put to rest. The best current hypothesis is that the spiky crystals of OA puncture the mites--causing dessication or poisoning, but this could be wrong. If you evaporate an OA solu in water, you get tiny spikelike crystals. But if you evaporate it in syrup, you just get a clear "gel" in which I don't see crystals. So I have more questions than answers. >>>>Syrup that lands on the frame tops does not count--the bees don't touch it! I was oversimplifying--I will revise. >>>>>>Perhaps not initially but eventually they clean it up. I think it must, at least temporarily, end up in their stomachs. When I checked a hive once after a treatment, I saw freshly deposited OA syrup in cells. There had been no flying weather since the treatment. How did you know it was OA syrup? I tried this spring dribbling OA on nucs 5 days after queen cell emergence. The queens mated out normally. OA in nucs is a great way to start relatively mite free colonies. In another experiment, we just finished spraying 15 colonies 3x at 5 day intervals to really give them an OA hit. There was no nectar flow on (this is a huge question to me: does a nectar flow make a difference?) We didn't set up the experiment well to look for young brood loss. The colonies, 5 days after last treatment, have little young brood, but we don't know if OA had anything to do with it. We began stimulative feeding yesterday to see how well the brood recovers. If we can find more infested colonies, we'll try a controlled experiment, marking brood, with a control group, and dribble with and without supplemental syrup to simulate a nectar flow. One problem for us Californians is that with bees going in the $150 range into almonds in February, experimenting with colonies can mean a lot of lost income! Randy Oliver -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2006 19:29:32 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: Aaron Morris Subject: Bee Warning MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable From: Coleene Davidson [mailto:beekeeper@tm.net] Sent: Thu 2006.09.07 21:08 To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Subject: Fw: Bee Warning Hi, I am forward this email from another group I belong too. The lady that = lost her dogs was in the Los Angeles area. Did anyone hear about this = and are AHB's in this area or was it just fluke.=20 Coleene =20 One of my fellow club members lost 2 of her dogs Friday to bee stings. She is an older lady, and called one of my other friends (who is her neighbor) to please come help her find her dogs. My friend DID find her 12 year old Sheltie in the backyard dead. She then continued looking for the other dog a 5 year old English Cocker, and she found it in a small hidden area of the garage. She tried to get the dog out of the opening, which took her over an hour. When she got the dog out, she found a bee clinging to his coat. They immediately took the dog to the vet. By the time they left the vets office, they had found over 100 stingers in the dog, but he was still alive. They got a call early the next morning. The dog had over 300 stingers in it's body. Wanted to share this in the hopes that anyone who finds a hive near their home gets it removed immediately to save the lives of their canine companions. -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2006 20:01:06 GMT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: "waldig@netzero.com" Subject: Re: OA and open brood. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit >>I OA trickled my over wintering nucs. I killed nearly 70% doing so. I don't think they had a cleansing flight afterward... My casual observation is that the hives come through better if they are in a loose cluster or can break it for some flying. It's best to treat just before the last bees emerge - the treatment period will cover when the last bees emerge. >>I guess the first site has links to tests done in Switzerland, but they are in German. Waldemar, do you read German? Not fluently but you can request a link to the English-language site from Anton Imdorf at the Swiss Bee Research Lab at anton.imdorf@alp.admin.ch. I have a print-out somewhere but would have to look for it. Russians used OA and other acid treatments for varroa as long as some 20 or 30 years ago. Waldemar Long Island, NY -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2006 19:17:17 GMT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: "waldig@netzero.com" Subject: Re: Hot hive Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit >>Gave the kids all a small container... Wow, what a sugar rush. If they weren't hyper before they sure were when they left :) When I'd spend my childhood summers with my aunt and uncle in the countryside, for super, I and my cousins would often pour a few tablespoons of honey onto a plate each. We'd take slices of homemade rye bread with homemade butter and dip it generously in the fresh honey. We'd chase it down with glasses of unpasturized milk [still sudsy and warm from the cow]. I slept like a hibernating bear... Life does not get much better than this. :)) Waldemar Long Island, NY -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info --- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2006 19:28:59 GMT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: BEE-L@listserv.albany.edu From: "waldig@netzero.com" Subject: Re: OA Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit >>>>When I checked a hive once after a treatment, I saw freshly deposited OA syrup in cells. There had been no flying weather since the treatment. >>How did you know it was OA syrup? I could not be certain 100% (I did not taste-test it ;-). It was on a frame, where there had been no stores at the time of the treatment, outside of the cluster. There had been no flying weather and I did not feed. It had a whitish-watery appearance. It looked different than anything I've ever seen. The bees seemed to stay away from it. It disappeared only a few weeks later. >>OA in nucs is a great way to start relatively mite free colonies. It's also good for treating unknown swarms. Going forward I plan to keep captured bees from any varroa-infested house/tree colonies - this year there was only 1 in 10 or so - separate from their brood and treating with OA. I'll treat the brood with OA after its emergence. Waldemar Long Island, NY -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---