From MAILER-DAEMON Fri Sep 17 12:52:12 1999 Received: from listserv.albany.edu (listserv.albany.edu [169.226.1.24]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA27293 for ; Fri, 17 Sep 1999 12:52:11 -0400 (EDT) Received: from listserv.albany.edu (listserv.albany.edu [169.226.1.24]) by listserv.albany.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA11086 for ; Fri, 17 Sep 1999 12:52:07 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <199909171652.MAA11086@listserv.albany.edu> Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1999 12:52:07 -0400 From: "L-Soft list server at University at Albany (1.8d)" Subject: File: "BEE-L LOG9904E" To: adamf@METALAB.UNC.EDU Content-Length: 34078 Lines: 814 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 01:35:37 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Dennis Scott Subject: Hive Beetles are now in Ohio MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I was listening to NPR radio this morning and a story was told how the hive beetle has now arrived in Ohio. They were found in the greater Columbus area in a shipment of Two thousand packages. From what I understand the packages came from South Carolina and they were found at five locations in Ohio so far. What I would like to know is if anyone knows if Ohio is going to get approval from EPA for the use of hive beetle control or are we going to have to wait till disaster sets in? Dennis Scott West Central Ohio Nervious and checking because I bought packages from the south this year. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 22:37:37 -0400 Reply-To: info@beeworks.com Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: David Eyre Subject: Re: Brood Chamber Honey In-Reply-To: <199904281837.OAA14264@listserv.albany.edu> On 28 Apr 99, at 10:37, BOGANSRJ@APCI.COM wrote: > If I just keep it the way it is it could be used throughout the season, > but the wax moth will wreck havoc before that could happen. I can't freeze > it either. I would like to save some of this for the winter but I can't > think how. If I seal them up with PDB it would contaminate the honey. > A perennial problem. You could use 'Certan' the only biological larvaecide on the market, prevents wax moth damage. If you would care to e-mail us we can supply details. ***************************************** The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive, Unit 2, Orillia, Ontario, Canada.L3V 6H1. Phone (705)326 7171 Fax (705)325 3461 David Eyre, Owner e-mail http://www.beeworks.com This months special:-Therapik, soothing aid for stings. **************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 22:37:37 -0400 Reply-To: info@beeworks.com Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: David Eyre Subject: Re: smoking them bees In-Reply-To: <199904282124.RAA18077@listserv.albany.edu> On 28 Apr 99, at 15:44, The window God wrote: > someone posted a line or two about using tobbaco smoke to knock off mites > in order to test mite population in the hive could someone explain to a > bee-ginner if this is true and/or effective Well known and used extensively in Europe. The hive entrance is sealed and puffs from a smoker using a specially strong tobbacco are blown into the entrance. This affects the Varroa and causes them to fall off. Obviously a sticky board or some method of holding the dropped Varroa is a good idea. Anyone want some (tobbacco) we have it in stock. ***************************************** The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive, Unit 2, Orillia, Ontario, Canada.L3V 6H1. Phone (705)326 7171 Fax (705)325 3461 David Eyre, Owner e-mail http://www.beeworks.com This months special:-Therapik, soothing aid for stings. **************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 08:01:06 EDT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Beehealthy@AOL.COM Subject: Bees used as bloodhounds to detect landmines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The Ultimate Sting: Bees the Buzz in Landmine Detection RICHLAND, Wash., April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Forget James Bond and his souped-up BMW. The newest high-tech agent in the world of international security could be a honeybee. Its mission? To detect landmines. Its modus operandi? Tiny radio frequency tags. Technology developed at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is helping to determine if bees pass muster as secret agents in the mission to find millions of landmines scattered worldwide. Pacific Northwest engineers have modified commercially available radio-frequency tags, which store information and can be used to track items such as clothing, to serve as high-tech "backpacks" for bees. Pacific Northwest engineers also have designed special electronics and software for radio-frequency devices that "read" information on the tags. These devices will be mounted to manmade beehives. Used together, these technologies will track the movement of bees and test their ability to detect minute amounts of explosives. If bees can be trained, they will be a means for locating landmines or unexploded ammunition on firing ranges or old battlefields. The University of Montana in Missoula is coordinating this project, which is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the central research and development organization for the Department of Defense. Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk, an entomologist at the university, pooled resources from three federal agencies and three national laboratories to conduct this research. In a field test this spring, Pacific Northwest engineers and Bromenshenk's research team will tag 50 bees in a controlled experiment. Each tag will store information used to identify a bee and will weigh less than a grain of rice. The RF tags and readers will allow researchers to track the movements of individual bees. For example, as a bee leaves for a day of pollen hunting, it will fly out of the hive and trigger the reader. The reader scans the tag on each bee, then sends the bee's identification code, direction of flight and the time to a modem. The modem downloads the data to a central computer. This process also will occur when a bee returns to the hive. Then, a system of analysis tools being developed by Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, and the Environmental Protection Agency will be installed inside the hives and scan for chemicals found in explosives. Together, the tracking information and the analysis tools could help pinpoint landmine locations. Researchers also will conduct a second field test to study how far bees travel. This information will allow researchers to determine the greatest distance bees can forage and how long it takes them to reach the mines. Pacific Northwest engineers developed a first generation of radio-frequency tags in the early 1990s for the garment industry to track inventory. Pacific Northwest engineers are improving the storage and range reading capabilities of the tags for national security applications. Pacific Northwest is one of DOE's nine multiprogram national laboratories and conducts research in the fields of environment, energy, health sciences and national security. Battelle, based in Columbus, Ohio, has operated Pacific Northwest for DOE since 1965. SOURCE Pacific Northwest National Laboratory CO: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory ST: Washington IN: ARO ENV CPR SU: 04/28/99 05:20 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 08:21:10 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Richard Bonney Subject: Re: What did I do wrong MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sounds as if in two hives the queens were not accepted so after a bit the bees moved next door. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 08:40:25 -0400 Reply-To: tvf@umich.edu Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Ted Fischer Organization: ACB Dept., Univ of Michigan Subject: Re: Brood Chamber Honey MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I, too have huge amounts of honey left over in deep frames, mostly from colonies that didn't survive the winter (42% this year). What I do is just give it back to the bees when making splits, etc., and if they don't need it they just throw it out. There's nothing else I can do with it anyway, and the bees are the experts at cleaning out their own frames. Ted Fischer Dexter, Michigan USA ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 08:51:56 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: "Bozard, Charles Emmett (Mick)" Subject: Re: Hive Beetles are now in Ohio MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain > From what I understand > the packages came from South Carolina where and whom in South Carolina so we don't make the mistake.thanks > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 08:52:12 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: "Kim Flottum, Editor Bee Culture" Subject: Re: Hive Beetles are now in Ohio MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hive Beetle In Ohio Yes, hive beetles have arrived in Ohio. About 100 or so packages = arrived, all from South Carolina, all from the same producer. They came = to 4 different places and most, if not all of the final customers have = been located. Ohio immediately applied for, and was granted an emergency = Section 18 label for coumophos and it was available as of Tuesday. Ohio = Inspectors have visited, or will soon be visiting each customer = (beekeeper) to explain the situation. There are NO provisions for = depopulation, only treatment. Ohio State Beekeeper's Association will, = if it is found legal and appropriate by regulators, supply a treatment = to these individuals at no cost to them if they desire. That is still = being investigated and not confirmed. That same association will be holding their summer meeting on June18, = and 19 in Medina and a good portion of the meeting will be on biology, = identification and control of this new pest. The OSBA is also working = with State Extension and Regulatory officials to set up a survey of = state beekeepers and a monitering system to not only locate, but to = track the spread (or lack of spread) of this pest in Ohio. The infected packages that arrived in Ohio were sold by Blue Ridge = apiaries, according to a news release put out by the Ohio Department of = Agriculture.=20 Kim Flottum Editor, Bee Culture Magazine 1-800-289-7668 x3214 623 W. Liberty St. Medina OH 44256 http://www.airoot.com/beeculture/index.htm ---------- From: Dennis Scott[SMTP:dcscott@bright.net] Sent: Thursday, April 29, 1999 8:19 AM To: BEE-L@LISTSERV.ALBANY.EDU Subject: Hive Beetles are now in Ohio I was listening to NPR radio this morning and a story was told = how the hive beetle has now arrived in Ohio. They were found in the greater Columbus area in a shipment of Two thousand packages. From what I = understand the packages came from South Carolina and they were found at five = locations in Ohio so far. What I would like to know is if anyone knows if Ohio is going to get approval from EPA for the use of hive beetle control or are = we going to have to wait till disaster sets in? Dennis Scott West Central Ohio Nervious and checking because I bought packages from the south this = year. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 09:42:25 EDT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Malibu Skipper Organization: NYSERNet, Inc. Subject: Infected colonies from Blue Ridge Apiaries MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT > The infected packages that arrived in Ohio were sold by Blue Ridge > apiaries .... Hmmm - makes you long for the good ol' days when Blue Ridge Apiaries took your money and kept their bees! Thanks Huck! ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 20:56:04 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Scott Moser Subject: Swarming Question Comments: To: BEE-L@CNSIBM.ALBANY.EDU MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Greetings all, Today, I opened a hive that I started 3 weeks ago as a split. Two weeks ago, I replaced the old queen with a young queen that I had purchased. Upon opening the hive today, the first nice, warm, sunny day in 5 days, I found the beginnings of 2 swarm cells in the burr comb on the bottom of one of the frames. They both had jelly and larvae. I know they arent crowded too much, because when I placed the queen in the hive I added another deep body of foundation, and moved a frame of brood up into it to draw up the bees. In addition, there were a couple partially drawn frames in the bottom deep body. There were only 3-4 frames of sealed brood in the hive. Was this the result of being couped up for 5 days due to cloudy damp weather? We are having a decent nectar flow now, and they appear to be drawing the foundation pretty well, but should I feed them too? Feel free to e-mail me instead of posting to the list. Thanks all! Scott Moser s_moser@mailcity.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 23:18:28 -0500 Reply-To: boby@lakecountry.net Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Bob Young Subject: vinegar instead of smoke Comments: To: Bee-l list MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit A fellow beekeeper (25 yrs.experience) who helps me quite a lot when I have beekeeping problems(1yr.experience), uses white vinegar dispensed in a mist from a spray bottle instead of using a smoker. I am doing it myself now, it really works well! The girls will really get their heads down and he never has had any problems with long term damage to bees or brood. He also uses the vinegar spray to get rid of mildew on combs. If you get tired of smelling like an old ashtray, give this a try. Use white vinegar straight and dispense in as fine a mist as possible. Bob Young Lindale, TX ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 07:26:17 +0200 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: P-O Gustafsson Subject: Re: Swarming Question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Scott Moser wrote: > Today, I opened a hive that I started 3 weeks ago as a split. Two > weeks ago, I replaced the old queen with a young queen that I had purchased. > Upon opening the hive today, the first nice, warm, sunny day in 5 days, I > found the beginnings of 2 swarm cells in the burr comb on the bottom of one > of the frames. Are you sure they are swarm cells? I would suggest the bees found the new queen inferior and are making superseedure cells to replace her. You can see the difference on the location and number of cells. If the bees want to swarm, they are making a larger number of cells in the periphery of the brood area. If they are making superseedure cells, you will find one or two cells in the center of the brood area. -- Regards P-O Gustafsson, Sweden beeman@algonet.se http://www.algonet.se/~beeman/ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 15:06:52 +0100 Reply-To: pln@wanadoo.fr Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Jean-Pierre LE PABIC Subject: Re: Varroa Resistant Honey Bees MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Adrian Wenner a écrit: > In Santa Barbara proper, we now have good survival of feral colonies --- > obviously without treatment. I consider that survival to be a POPULATION > phenomenon, in that queens mate with drones from colonies that have also > had no treatment. I treated this possibility more fully in this network on > 21 April. > > Adrian On my opinion, survival of honey bees colonies in varroa infested area may be due to at least two reasons : 1 - bees are resistant 2 - they live in conditions that allow them to survive to varroa mites In Europe, numerous examples of feral colonies living without treatment in highly infested areas have been reported. However, not a single example of resistant domesticated colony has been reported. Moreover, the existence of feral and domesticated colonies in the same area results in crossing so-called resistant and non resistant colonies which may destroy resistance. The assumption made in Europe is that many varroa mites fall from the feral colony and are eliminated in this way, having no means to climb back. On the contrary, in a hive, they do not have any difficulty joining up with their initial environment from the bottom boards. That is why I have experimented for some years a specially designed bottom board so that varroa mites fall under the hive. It is made with tubes, one under each frame, 3,5 mm apart (have a look on : http://www.apiservices.com/plateau-anti-varroas/, French, English and German version). I count from time to time varroa mites which fall under four hives during one week time. The first two hives have not received any treatment for three year, the two other for two years. The last counting periods were : 12 to 20/12/98 (8 days); 17 to 24/1/99 (7 days); 4 to 11/4/99, (7 days); 11 to 18/4/99 (7 days); 18 to 25/4/99 (7 days) : And the results were the following : Hive n° 6 : 94, 126, 14, 16, 20. Hive n° 2 : 90, 38, 31, 31, 7. Hive n° 5 : 280, 112, 4, 5, 4. Hive n° 3 : 61, 57, 0, 2, 0. These are by far the best results I have obtained. This experiment should however be carried with different bees, in different places and so on to be validated. Until now, I am the only one ! Jean-Pierre LE PABIC Rueil-Malmaison (10 km from Paris), FRANCE ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 11:56:27 +0200 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Anthony N Morgan Organization: Sor-Trondelag College, Division of Electronic Engineering Subject: Re: vinegar instead of smoke MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Bob Young wrote: > > If you get tired of smelling like an old ashtray, give this a try. Use > white vinegar straight and > dispense in as fine a mist as possible. More info please! -- what % strength of vinegar are you referring to? -- presumably one needs to be careful to not spray directly on uncapped brood? cheers Tony -- ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 11:14:39 -0600 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Allen Dick Organization: The Beekeepers Subject: Upcoming Penn State Beekeeping Course MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Diana Sammataro has asked to have this announcement posted to BEE-L: The Changing Fundamentals of Beekeeping May 14-15, 1999 Penn State University, University Park, PA Sponsored by: MAAREC - The Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium Honey bee management is quickly changing. Not only must we manage our bees, we must also be able to effectively manage the newly introduced parasitic mites that attack them. This course is designed to cover the basics of keeping bees for honey production and pollination while focusing on the control of diseases and mites. The Changing Fundamentals of Beekeeping is open to all interested beekeepers as well as individuals interested in becoming beekeepers. Program Friday, May 14 8:00 a.m. Registration -Lobby, ASI Bldg. 8:30 Welcome & Course Instruction Maryann Frazier (Penn State University) 8:45 Biology -- Our Basis for Management Maryann Frazier 9:15 Seasonal Management Dr. Dewey Caron (University of Delaware) 10:00 Break 10:15 Honey Bee Behavior -- how do bees make choices? Dr. Scott Camazine (Penn State University) 10:45 Techniques of Queen Rearing Dr. Jeff Pettis (USDA/ARS- Beltsville Lab) 11:30 Marketing Hive Products Dr. Dewey Caron 12:00 Lunch - Provided 1:00-4:00 Apiary/Lab Workshops (Select 2 of the 3) Bees inside and outside - honey bee dissection Diana Sammataro (Penn State University) -108 Headhouse III Queen Rearing Techniques in the Field Jeff Pettis -University Apiary BeeAware, Beekeeping CD-ROM, Making the World Wide Web work for you, Record keeping -Computer Lab 5:00-6:30 Reception and Tour of Penn State Research Labs -504 ASI Bldg. Saturday, May 15 Room 101, ASI Building 8:00 am Brood Diseases; their impact and control Jim Steinhauer (Pennsylvania Dept. of Ag.) 9:00 Tracheal and Varroa Mites; their impact and control Dr. Diana Sammataro and Jennifer Finley (Penn State University) 10:00 Monitoring Varroa Mite Populations - 1998 Research Results Dr. Dewey Caron 10:30 Break 10:45 The Small Hive Beetle - A Big Problem or Not? Maryann Frazier 11:15 We take Coumaphos - for better or worse. Jim Steinhauer 11:45 Yes - There is an alternative - An IPM approach to mite management Diana Sammataro 12:15 Lunch - On your own 1:00-4:00 Apiary/Lab Workshops (select 2 of the 3) Mite and disease diagnosis in the lab Diana Sammataro - 108 Headhouse III Mite and disease diagnosis in the field Jim Steinhauer -University Apiary Field Research Demo Scott Camazine -University Apiary 4:30 p.m. Adjourn Registration: $60.00 Individual Registration $90.00 Couple Registration $40.00 One Day Registration Preregistration deadline April 29, 1999 Dormitory housing available. All participants will receive an updated edition of the Fundamentals of Beekeeping as a course guide and a 20% discount on the purchase of all for-sale beekeeping education materials. To register, receive a free brochure or for additional information, please contact the College of Ag Sciences Short Course office at 814- 865-8301 or visit their website at: http://www.cas.psu.edu/docs/CASCONF/BEEKEEPERS.HTML Pennsylvania State University Bee Lab Department of Entomology 501 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building University Park, PA 16802 Lab: (814) 865 2810 Fax: (814) 865 3048 Email: acarapis@psu.edu http://www.psu.edu/dept/beehive/ http://www.internode.net/HoneyBee/ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 14:36:19 EDT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: HStarJE@AOL.COM Subject: Central Coast California MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I just returned from a vacation trip to San Luis Obispo California. I am curious about beekeeping conditions in the central coast area there. The climate has a long very dry summer climate and am curious about how well bees do there. Can anyone give a report? ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 13:19:55 -0600 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Allen Dick Organization: The Beekeepers Subject: Re: Emergency Queens. In-Reply-To: <199904240745.DAA15205@listserv.albany.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Okay! I was reading Johansson & Johansen today and here is what they say: "Until the 1880's the only method for procuring queen cells was either to stimulate swarming conditions in the colony or to render it queenless. The cells produced by these methods (3-12 or more) are entirely satisfactory..." They go on to say that the position of the cells is often inconvenient, and that the frames can be damaged cutting them out, etc. but never imply that anything whatsoever is wrong with emergency cells. FWIW allen http://www.internode.net/HoneyBee/ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 20:44:47 +0100 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Harry Goudie Subject: Re: Varroa Resistant Honey Bees Comments: To: pln@wanadoo.fr MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit -----Original Message----- From: Jean-Pierre LE PABIC To: BEE-L@LISTSERV.ALBANY.EDU Date: 30 April 1999 15:11 Subject: Re: Varroa Resistant Honey Bees >Adrian Wenner a écrit: > >> In Santa Barbara proper, we now have good survival of feral colonies --- >> obviously without treatment>> >> Adrian > >On my opinion, survival of honey bees colonies in varroa infested area may be >due to at least two reasons : >1 - bees are resistant >2 - they live in conditions that allow them to survive to varroa mites I like the idea of the mites falling through spaces in the bottom of the hive but I wonder if it may be possible that the feral colonies are surviving because of swarming. One of the differences between a feral and domestic colony is that the latter is managed to prevent swarming. If the swarm clusters for any length of time it may be that the temperature inside the cluster is sufficiently high to either kill or at least make the varroa uncomfortable and fall off. The swarm may then start off in a new site with comparatively few varroa. I read somewhere about a man who had a swarm land on his head. One of his comments when asked about his experience later was that it was very hot inside the swarm! Harry http://www.luichartwoollens.freeserve.co.uk ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 17:03:20 EDT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: CSlade777@AOL.COM Subject: Re: Marking queens MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I use a Massey Ring, named after its inventor, Eddie Massey. It is a circle of thick heavy wire about as big as the circle made when you join your thumb tip to your middle finger. Looped or tacked to this ring is a piece of plastic netting cut from a bag such as fruit is sold in. When the queen is found on the comb the ring is placed over her and adjacent bees. The workers are released by easing up the side behind the queen. The weight of the wire is enough to prevent the queen lifting it to escape. You mark her through the net. Hold her still for a second or two with fingers either side gently pressing on the net while the paint dries - if you don't she will move and smear your artistry. If you want to clip her wing you can do it through the net. It didn't cost you anything so it doesn't matter if you snip the net as well. Chris Slade ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 17:13:02 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Stan Sandler Subject: Re: Swarming Question Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hi P-O and All: >Are you sure they are swarm cells? I would suggest the bees found the new >queen inferior and are making superseedure cells to replace her. This is a fairly common occurence, and I wonder whether the queen *actually* is inferior, or if the bees just sense that her genetics are quite different than theirs and therefore are not satisfied with her. I had the impression (not quantified, not scientific, but the distinct impression) that I had a larger amount of supersedure after requeening when I was changing races (introducing Carniolan or Caucasian queens to Italian bees). Regards, Stan ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 22:28:39 +0000 Reply-To: beeman@zbee.com Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Steven Turner Organization: Beenet UK Subject: New BIBBA mailing list for Apis m.m MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT The Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders Association (BIBBA) have launched a mailing list for those beekeepers interested in Apis mellifera mellifera. Open to BIBBA members and non-members How to Join: Send a message to mailserver@zbee.com THE SUBJECT: THE MESSAGE BODY: SUBSCRIBE BIBBA-L --- * Origin: Bromley Bee Club Beenet (240:244/118) --- Steven Turner beeman@zbee.com http://www.kentbee.com/ Beekeeping & Gardening interests Sysop of ZbeeNet dialup BBS +44 (0)181-695-5328 Fidonet: 2:254/214 & 2:254/214 Beenet: 240:44/0 ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 22:17:20 -0400 Reply-To: dronebee@pilot.infi.net Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: "Dr. Pedro P. Rodriguez" Organization: Virginia non-profit honey bee research corporation Subject: Re: Varroa Resistant Honey Bees MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi. Varroa mites thrive on two factors: high humidity and heat. Lack of proper ventilation enhance their growth and abundance. Best regards. Dr. R.