Received: from relay.internode.net (relay.internode.net [198.161.228.50]) by sysx.internode.net (NTMail 3.02.12) with ESMTP id allend for ; Wed, 29 Jan 1997 10:02:02 -0700 Received: from [169.226.1.21] by relay.internode.net (SMTPD32-3.02) id ADF62F60140; Wed, 29 Jan 1997 09:42:30 -0700 Received: from CNSIBM.ALBANY.EDU by CNSIBM.ALBANY.EDU (IBM VM SMTP V2R3) with BSMTP id 7278; Wed, 29 Jan 97 11:51:30 EST Received: from CNSIBM.ALBANY.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@ALBNYVM1) by CNSIBM.ALBANY.EDU (LMail V1.2c/1.8c) with BSMTP id 7304; Wed, 29 Jan 1997 11:51:11 -0500 Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 11:51:02 -0500 From: "L-Soft list server at University at Albany (1.8c)" Subject: File: "BEE-L LOG9701C" To: "W. Allen Dick" Resent-From: Resent-Date: Wed, 29 Jan 97 09:43:21 EST Resent-To: allend@mail1.internode.net Message-Id: <17020202703485@systronix.net> ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 00:15:17 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Harry Sweet Subject: Re: Polyurethane for Hives? In a message dated 97-01-10 19:10:40 EST, you write: << The question is: can I stain the exterior surfaces with a good wood stain and use marine-quality polyurethane coating over that rather than the standard white latex paint treatment? Or is there something in the spar varnish or stain that repels bees? __________________________________________________ Greg Hankins Montgomery Herald ghankins@ac.net Mt. Gilead, NC >> If pine isn't oiled periodically it can dryrot. And your polyurethane will not permit the wood to breathe. Personally I prefer boiled linseed oil thinned with terpentine. But do what works for you. Harry Sweet N. California ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 00:39:10 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Gerry Visel Subject: Re: Feeder Bags I also had problems with slow drinkers at the boardman feeders. When I put them on the front of the hive, the diurnal heating/cooling pumped them empty before the bees could drink. The leakage drew yellow jackets, which spread into the hives. Even placed on inner covers, they only drew a few bees, and some even got mold on the syrup, it took them so long to take down. Last fall, (from a discussion here,) I used feeder bags on my five hives. I placed them on the inner cover, with an empty super around them. (Putting them on a queen excluder would ease up/down travel some.) I used one-gallon zip-lock freezer bags, filled 3/4 full. When they are 3/4 full, the top surface lays flat, (not humped upward,) and will not leak syrup when slit with a razor. (Overfilling causes leakage!) I made three or so 4-inch long slits across the top surface. Coming back an hour later found the beeses lined up like pigs at the trough on both sides of each slit. Coming back the next morning found the bags empty, or very nearly so. I have never had bees take down the juice so fast. A second application with new bags went just as fast. There were a few bees trapped inside the bags. The speed they take it down makes the problem of spillage during movement less significant, if not moot, as they are only on the hive a day or so. I guess you could move them in place on the inner cover if you had to. My only problems were that the bags can't be recycled, (help save the plastic trees!) and that I can't figger out how to use the same idea on our observation hive. (One quart there lasts for weeks, even when they are hungry. Anybody got any ideas?) Maybe it's not the way to go if you are trying to slowly medicate your bees with something, but if you want them to take down syrup quickly, it's the greatest thing since pancakes! Gerry and the other Visels at Visel7@juno.com Winnebago, Illinois, USA ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 22:54:24 -0700 Reply-To: allend@systronix.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Allen Dick Organization: BestOfBee Subject: Announcing BestOfBee-l -- A new List MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT *** Please save this message for future reference *** We are pleased to announce BestOfBee, a new way to read BEE-L. As the volume has grown on BEE-L, a number of memebers have grown tired of receiving large numbers of messages daily, many of which are sent in error or not of general interest. Many worthy subscribers have simply given up and left. Therefore, to lighten the load, several list regulars (who merrily read *everything* anyhow), have agreed to select the best material (in their opinions) and re-post it to a new list, called BestOf Bee (The '-l' is left off due to changing standards on the net regarding punctuation in list names). Since it is pretty well unanimous that BEE-L should not be split or censored, this provides a way for those who wish to read the list, but be selective and not be exposed to flames, etc. to enjoy a filtered version of BEE-L. If you would like to try this new free service, simply send email to Honeybee@systronix.net saying join bestofbee You will shortly start receiving messages. These messages will be *duplicates* of *some* the ones you get from BEE-L presently, but some may be edited to remove excessive quotes from previous messages if they are otherwise suitable. Many messages from BEE-L will not merit repeating on bestofbee, since they are chatter, or redundant. After you are satisfied that the new list is working and get a feel for the degree of filtering, you may wish to set BEE-L NOMAIL and read only the filtered messages -- if you like the way it works. *You will still need your BEE-L subscription* if you wish to post, since the only way to get a post to bestofbee is through posting a message on BEE-L. We expect that soon you will be able to search these selected messages using a web brouser after a number have accumulated. This will give a searchable 'opinion base'. We may add some edited material from old BEE-L logs too. Please Note: No one will be able to post to bestofbee except the moderators, so direct all replies to bestofbee articles to BEE-L where they will be read and perhaps selected for re-transmission. We hope this service helps more people to enjoy BEE-L, and that those who wish to post will do so freely now. We are also open to constructive comments and ideas for improvement. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 21:40:03 +1100 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Nick Wallingford Subject: Re: Feeder bags Comments: To: BestOfBee@systronix.net MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT In the August 1970 issue of the NZ Beekeeper magazine, an article by Keith Doull, et. al., describes the use of "Plastic Bags to Hold Maintenance or Stimulative Food in Beehives". Important points in their use include making sure there is no pockets of air sealed in the bag, putting the punctures in the top of the bag only, and increasing the speed of uptake by putting more punctures rather than larger ones. The main advantage was seen as the ability to vary and control the rate at which bees receive the food. The method was developed in the summer of 1964-65 as a method of feeding bees in lucerne pollination cages. It had become standard practice for some beekeepers in South Australia. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 08:06:00 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "George W.D. Fielder" Subject: Re Pasteurization and BEE-L@CNSIBM.ALBANY.EDU +++++ Dan Veilleux asked >would pasturization or other heating have an effect on crystalization? -------------------- I do not think that heating changes the innate crystallization tendency of a honey which is a characteristic of the particular nectar(s) from which it is derived. However significant heating as in pasteurization DOES give time for ALL crystals to melt and also allows any air bubbles or other impurities to rise to the surface (or sink to the bottom so that they can be removed from the honey. Both these do speed up the crystallization process so once removed, the speed of crystallization will depend on the nectar and the storage temperature (54degrees F is the temp. most conductive to crystallization). hope this helps george fielder ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 07:47:40 -0600 Reply-To: bbirkey@interaccess.com Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Barry Birkey Organization: www.Birkey.Com Subject: Re: Announcing BestOfBee-l -- A new List MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Allen Dick wrote: > We are pleased to announce BestOfBee, a new way to read BEE-L. > We expect that soon you will be able to search these selected > We hope this service helps more people to enjoy BEE-L, and that those > We are also open to constructive comments and ideas for improvement. Allen - Does "we" have names? -Barry -- Barry Birkey West Chicago, Illinois USA bbirkey@interaccess.com http://www.birkey.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 13:54:45 +0000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Dave Black Subject: Re: NOSEMA Comments: To: "bjhensel@metro.net"@metro.net In-Reply-To: <04414506911447@metro.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 In message <04414506911447@metro.net>, BRIAN HENSEL <"bjhensel@metro.net "@metro.net> writes >Hi everyone. > Can someone help me with a problem I am having with my hive? >Everything I >have been able to find in books and the Internet say to use Fumidil B. >for the prevention of Nosema, but nothing about what to do when they >have Nosema.If anybody can give me some tips on what I can do to get rid of the >Nosema problem I would be grateful. I think that they just did not get >enough Fumidil B. What can I do if they won't take enough syrup? Is it >OK to mix Fumidil B. with grease patties? It's good to see some sentiment out there, hope they pay you back! Can I start at the begining? Fumadil B is a soluble (ish) salt of an antibiotic and can be added to syrup, which is usual, or candy or honey. Each colony needs 166mg (a dessertspoonfull!) which in a sugar syrup is 14lbs/7pints. It's dilute because the bees don't seem to like it. The anitbiotic prevents the protozoan attacking the gut epithelial cells but has no effect on the spore stage. I'm sure you could work it into a candy but don't heat it over 49C(120F) and maybe a patty is worth a try. *It does not prevent Nosema.* It will only hold the disease (the manufacturers say 'protects') and you must move the bees onto clean comb as soon as you can, the spores remain viable for between 1 and 3 years and unless you remove them you will always have a problem. The 'dirty' combs can be re-used if you sterilise then in a closed stack with 80% acetic acid for 48hrs and then let them air. Don't use formic, its tricky. Acetic acid won't harm honey or pollen stores but will damage metal and (hooray) wax moth. It is operating good hygene that really 'prevents' nosema and that's one of the reasons I view beekeepers who don't change combs with scepticism. (No offence yo'all). The other thing always worth doing is to check you have Nosema and not dysentery, you can check by looking for the spores in the (crushed up) abdomens under a microscope (x40). As you know when the bees are confined and void in the hive it is quickly spread. The reason I have posted this to the group is that I'm wondering if the use of an open mesh floor would help at all. Climate permiting, could you use a mesh floor in the winter to reduce the amount of excreta the bee's have to clean up and help the holding exercise ? -- Dave Black Blacks Bee Gardens, Guildford, GU1 4RN. UK. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 10:23:05 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: James Morton <106074.517@compuserve.com> Subject: Re: comb trapping David Eyre wrote: >This is my big concern. We 'don't got' Varroa either. :-}} > I am hoping that before it arrives I will have arrived at an acceptable >control method. As a Queen breeder, I am totally confused. On one hand I >desperately need to breed drones to mate with the queens I raise, but on >the other hand I will be raising Varroa. Honey is not a major concern, but we do get some, which precludes the frequent use of Apistan. Also there are >now concerns that Apistan will weaken the hive. > Formic Acid is accepted here in Canada but that stuff will take your skin >off! Essential oil might be the silver bullet, but here again there are >legal concerns. If concerns about residues in honey prevent the use of Apistan whilst supers on the hive this should surely also apply to use of essential oils and formic acid at this time, quite apart from the concerns about efficacy and safety of these substances when used as varroa treatments. Of course, I don't know the details or scale of your queen rearing programme, but it seems to me that a solution would be to maintain one or more drone colonies per apiary specifically for drone production. These would be strong colonies headed with good queens kept in several brood chambers with an abundance of drone combs but without supers. You could treat these (e.g with Apistan) during the honey flow, if their level of varroa infestation was getting out of hand due to the abundance of drone brood, without breaking any regulations. Towards the end of the season they might be useful in the apiary as a source of combs of brood and honey for nucs etc. James Morton CSL National Bee Unit, UK ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 11:57:49 -0600 Reply-To: dvisrael@earthlink.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Donald V Israel Subject: THE HINDU ONLINE : Viral disease of bee MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="------------4D55C604500" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------4D55C604500 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > Go to : |Weekly edition |THE HINDU Main Menu| >=20 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >=20 > Viral disease of bee >=20 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Date: 18-01-1996 :: Pg: 28 :: Col: a >=20 > Cl: Agri & Horticulture >=20 > OUTBREAK of thai sac brood virus disease (TSBV) in 1991- > 92 took a heavy toll of Indian bee (Apis cerana indica F. > )colonies in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. >=20 > The Italian bee Apis mellifera (L.) is resistant to TSBV. > The Kerala Agricultural University introduced 60 colonies of > Italian bees from Haryana in 1992 on a trial basis for evaluating > its adaptability in Kerala. In addition to this, some private > agencies also distributed over 1,000 colonies to progressive bee > keepers. >=20 > An ectoparasitic mite Tropilaelaps clareae has been found > to infest colonies of A. mellifera causing heavy mortality. > Natives of South East Asia, the mite's original host is the rock > bee Apis dorsata. But now they infest colonies of both the Indian > bee and Italian bee posing a serious threat to the latter. >=20 > Another species T. koenigerum has recently been reported > to infest A. dorsata in Philippines and Sri Lanka. >=20 > Tropilaelaps though small can be seen by trained eyes. > When present in large numbers, they can be seen moving rapidly on > the surface of the combs. >=20 > The adult female mite is light reddish-brown with an oval > shaped body about 0.96 mm in length and 0.55 mm in width. The > entire body is covered with short setae. >=20 > Mite infestation is observed almost throughout the year, > though it is more severe during active brood rearing periods. The > gravid female mites gain entry into the cells before they are > capped and after cell capping lay eggs on the wall. >=20 > The nymphs on hatching feed on the haemolymph of bee > pupae and adult mites finally emerge out from these infested > cells. As many as 14 adult mites and 10 nymphal mites have been > observed in a single cell. >=20 > Adult bees do not emerge or affected brood develops into > deformed adults. These mites cannot pierce the body wall of adult > bees, but may steal food from their mouths. However, it cannot > survive in bee colonies outside their brood cells for more than > one or two days. >=20 > In heavily infested colonies, bees with deformed wings > can be observed crawling about the vicinity of the hive entrance > and on the comb surfaces, while pieces of dead bee brood > evacuated from the hive by the honey bees can be seen in front of > the entrance. >=20 > Inspection of hives severely infested by the mite reveals > an irregular pattern of sealed and unsealed brood. Their presence > can be confirmed by opening the sealed cells gently and looking 0};3 > for the presence of the mite. If mites are present, adult females > will be seen moving rapidly out of the cells. In unattended > colonies mite infestation can be very severe, resulting in poor > colony growth. >=20 > This can be controlled by chemotherapeutic treatment and > colony manipulation techniques. Dusting sulphur on the top bars > of the frames at the rate of 200 mg/frame at weekly intervals for > 2-3 weeks control the mite. As a prophylactic measure, the > dusting can be done once in a month during the active brood > rearing season. >=20 > In infested colonies brood rearing may be manipulated so > that the mites do not get sealed or unsealed brood for at least> Go t= o : |Weekly edition |THE HINDU Main Menu| >=20 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >=20 > Viral disease of bee >=20 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Date: 18-01-1996 :: Pg: 28 :: Col: a >=20 > Cl: Agri & Horticulture >=20 > OUTBREAK of thai sac brood virus disease (TSBV) in 1991- > 92 took a heavy toll of Indian bee (Apis cerana indica F. > )colonies in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. >=20 > The Italian bee Apis mellifera (L.) is resistant to TSBV. > The Kerala Agricultural University introduced 60 colonies of > Italian bees from Haryana in 1992 on a trial basis for evaluating > its adaptability in Kerala. In addition to this, some private > agencies also distributed over 1,000 colonies to progressive bee > keepers. >=20 > An ectoparasitic mite Tropilaelaps clareae has been found > to infest colonies of A. mellifera causing heavy mortality. > Natives of South East Asia, the mite's original host is the rock > bee Apis dorsata. But now they infest colonies of both the Indian > bee and Italian bee posing a serious threat to the latter. >=20 > Another species T. koenigerum has recently been reported > to infest A. dorsata in Philippines and Sri Lanka. >=20 > Tropilaelaps though small can be seen by trained eyes. > When present in large numbers, they can be seen moving rapidly on > the surface of the combs. >=20 > The adult female mite is light reddish-brown with an oval > shaped body about 0.96 mm in length and 0.55 mm in width. The > entire body is covered with short setae. >=20 > Mite infestation is observed almost throughout the year, > though it is more severe during active brood rearing periods. The > gravid female mites gain entry into the cells before they are > capped and after cell capping lay eggs on the wall. >=20 > The nymphs on hatching feed on the haemolymph of bee > pupae and adult mites finally emerge out from these infested > cells. As many as 14 adult mites and 10 nymphal mites have been > observed in a single cell. >=20 > Adult bees do not emerge or affected brood develops into > deformed adults. These mites cannot pierce the body wall of adult > bees, but may steal food from their mouths. However, it cannot > survive in bee colonies outside their brood cells for more than > one or two days. >=20 > In heavily infested colonies, bees with deformed wings > can be observed crawling about the vicinity of the hive entrance > and on the comb surfaces, while pieces of dead bee brood > evacuated from the hive by the honey bees can be seen in front of > the entrance. >=20 > Inspection of hives severely infested by the mite reveals > an irregular pattern of sealed and unsealed brood. Their presence > can be confirmed by opening the sealed cells gently and looking 0};3 > for the presence of the mite. If mites are present, adult females > will be seen moving rapidly out of the cells. In unattended > colonies mite infestation can be very severe, resulting in poor > colony growth. >=20 > This can be controlled by chemotherapeutic treatment and > colony manipulation techniques. Dusting sulphur on the top bars > of the frames at the rate of 200 mg/frame at weekly intervals for > 2-3 weeks control the mite. As a prophylactic measure, the > dusting can be done once in a month during the active brood > rearing season. >=20 > In infested colonies brood rearing may be manipulated so > that the mites do not get sealed or unsealed brood for at least > three consecutive days. >=20 > During this period, a large proportion of the mite > population will starve to death. For this both sealed and > unsealed brood comb frames from the infested colonies are removed > and put in new hives. >=20 > Before the new larvae hatch, the hives so manipulated > will be short of brood for 2-3 days. The new hives in which the > removed frames are kept can be supplied with mated queens which > are caged for about 14 days. As a result no new brood will be > reared during this period. >=20 > ]# > S. Devanesan and Abraham Jacob >=20 > 00] > Department of Agricultural Entomology >=20 > ``] > College of Agriculture, Vellayani-695 522 >=20 > ll]' > Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala >=20 >=20 >=20 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >=20 > Go to : |Weekly edition |THE HINDU Main Menu| >=20 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Copyright =A9 1995 THE HINDU & PARALOGIC CORPORATION. > three consecutive days. >=20 > During this period, a large proportion of the mite > population will starve to death. For this both sealed and > unsealed brood comb frames from the infested colonies are removed > and put in new hives. >=20 > Before the new larvae hatch, the hives so manipulated > will be short of brood for 2-3 days. The new hives in which the > removed frames are kept can be supplied with mated queens which > are caged for about 14 days. As a result no new brood will be > reared during this period. >=20 > ]# > S. Devanesan and Abraham Jacob >=20 > 00] > Department of Agricultural Entomology >=20 > ``] > College of Agriculture, Vellayani-695 522 >=20 > ll]' > Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala >=20 >=20 >=20 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >=20 > Go to : |Weekly edition |THE HINDU Main Menu| >=20 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Copyright =A9 1995 THE HINDU & PARALOGIC CORPORATION. http://www.webpage.com/hindu/960120/02/1828a.html In the document, Chemothereapeutic treatment and dusting with sulphur are two ways to treat for (varroa?. Can sone one explain how chemotherapeutic theatments on bees work and has studies on the use of solphur been done? Thanks Don --------------4D55C604500 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii; name="1828a.html" Content-Disposition: inline; filename="1828a.html" Content-Base: "http://www.webpage.com/hindu/960120/02 /1828a.html" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit THE HINDU ONLINE : Viral disease of bee 
Go to :   |Weekly edition   |THE HINDU Main Menu|

Viral disease of bee

Date: 18-01-1996 :: Pg: 28 :: Col: a 
Cl: Agri & Horticulture

        OUTBREAK of thai sac brood virus disease (TSBV) in  1991-
92  took  a  heavy  toll of Indian bee  (Apis  cerana  indica  F.
)colonies in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

        The Italian bee Apis mellifera (L.) is resistant to TSBV.
The  Kerala  Agricultural University introduced  60  colonies  of
Italian bees from Haryana in 1992 on a trial basis for evaluating
its  adaptability  in Kerala. In addition to this,  some  private
agencies also distributed over 1,000 colonies to progressive  bee
keepers.

        An ectoparasitic mite Tropilaelaps clareae has been found
to  infest  colonies  of A. mellifera  causing  heavy  mortality.
Natives of South East Asia, the mite's original host is the  rock
bee Apis dorsata. But now they infest colonies of both the Indian
bee and Italian bee posing a serious threat to the latter.

        Another species T. koenigerum has recently been  reported
to infest A. dorsata in Philippines and Sri Lanka.

        Tropilaelaps  though small can be seen by  trained  eyes.
When present in large numbers, they can be seen moving rapidly on
the surface of the combs.

        The adult female mite is light reddish-brown with an oval
shaped  body  about 0.96 mm in length and 0.55 mm in  width.  The
entire body is covered with short setae.

        Mite infestation is observed almost throughout the  year,
though it is more severe during active brood rearing periods. The
gravid  female  mites gain entry into the cells before  they  are
capped and after cell capping lay eggs on the wall.

        The  nymphs  on hatching feed on the  haemolymph  of  bee
pupae  and  adult mites finally emerge out  from  these  infested
cells.  As many as 14 adult mites and 10 nymphal mites have  been
observed in a single cell.

        Adult bees do not emerge or affected brood develops  into
deformed adults. These mites cannot pierce the body wall of adult
bees,  but may steal food from their mouths. However,  it  cannot
survive  in bee colonies outside their brood cells for more  than
one or two days.

        In  heavily infested colonies, bees with  deformed  wings
can be observed crawling about the vicinity of the hive  entrance
and  on  the  comb  surfaces, while  pieces  of  dead  bee  brood
evacuated from the hive by the honey bees can be seen in front of
the entrance.

        Inspection of hives severely infested by the mite reveals
an irregular pattern of sealed and unsealed brood. Their presence
can  be confirmed by opening the sealed cells gently and  looking  0};3
for the presence of the mite. If mites are present, adult females
will  be  seen  moving rapidly out of the  cells.  In  unattended
colonies  mite infestation can be very severe, resulting in  poor
colony growth.

        This can be controlled by chemotherapeutic treatment  and
colony  manipulation techniques. Dusting sulphur on the top  bars
of the frames at the rate of 200 mg/frame at weekly intervals for
2-3  weeks  control  the mite. As  a  prophylactic  measure,  the
dusting  can  be  done once in a month during  the  active  brood
rearing season.

        In infested colonies brood rearing may be manipulated  so
that  the mites do not get sealed or unsealed brood for at  least
three consecutive days.

        During  this  period,  a large  proportion  of  the  mite
population  will  starve  to  death. For  this  both  sealed  and
unsealed brood comb frames from the infested colonies are removed
and put in new hives.

        Before  the  new larvae hatch, the hives  so  manipulated
will  be short of brood for 2-3 days. The new hives in which  the
removed  frames are kept can be supplied with mated queens  which
are  caged  for about 14 days. As a result no new brood  will  be
reared during this period.


        ]#
S. Devanesan and Abraham Jacob

        00]
Department of Agricultural Entomology

        ``]
College of Agriculture, Vellayani-695 522

        ll]'
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala



Go to :   |Weekly edition   |THE HINDU Main Menu|
Copyright © 1995 THE HINDU & PARALOGIC CORPORATION. --------------4D55C604500-- ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 11:15:13 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Dave Green, Eastern Pollinator Newsletter" Subject: At the ABF convention Wednesday, Jan 14, 1997 Dear Bee Folks: We expect ("Lord willin' an' the creek don't rise') to be online tomorrow at the American Beekeeping Federation meeting in Norfolk, Virginia, at our regular internet address. 1. We plan to demonstrate beekeeping on the internet, and would love to get messages from all over the world. 2. If you know someone there and would like to relay a message, we'll do our best. 3. We hope to post a report, especially about the pollination scene. Yours truly is part of a panel for the pollination symposium on Thursday, representing southeastern US pollination activities. It's a bit iffy, because I've been fighting with a balky computor for a week. Some memory management problems have thinned my hair a bit more, and I don't have much (hair) to lose. Something is "eating" conventional memory in Windows and bringing my programs to a screetching halt. I am not expert enough to pin down the problem (calling all computor nerds; I'm only a beekeeper nerd). Chewin' my nails........ Pollinator@aol.com Dave Green, PO Box 1200, Hemingway, SC 29554 (Dave & Jan's Pollination Service, Pot o'Gold Honey Co.) Practical Pollination Home Page Dave & Janice Green http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html Jan's Sweetness and Light Varietal Honeys and Gift Sets http://users.aol.com/SweetnessL/sweetlit.htm ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 12:19:00 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Palm, Kevin R. (LLP)" Subject: "Ulee's Gold" Dear Bee Folks, I have just read in the January issue of Bee Culture about a movie called, "Ulee's Gold." It is from Orion Pictures and stars Peter Fonda as Ulee Jackson, a Florida beekeeper. Does anyone have any information about this movie, like release date or anything?? Thanks, Kevin Palm Grafton, Ohio ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 13:12:37 -0500 Reply-To: beeworks@muskoka.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology Comments: Authenticated sender is From: David Eyre Organization: beeworks Subject: Re: Varroa and Chalkbrood MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT On 10 Jan 97 at 18:42, Ian Watson wrote: Re: Varroa and Chalkbrood > > 2 Why do we requeen, when it has been proved that it is not genetic. > > Comments? > > Yes... > > How do you mean, "that it is not genetic"...? There seems to be a variety of views regarding chalkbrood. "it's a spore, it's caused by dampness, it's caused by chilled brood" neither of the above is caused by the Queen! I know the accepted procedure is to requeen. My point, if we have a good strong laying queen, why bother to change her, when it's not her fault. I tend to question some of our accepted methods, some just don't make sense to me and this is one of them! Any one want to comment? ********************************************************* The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive Unit 2, Orillia, Ontario, Canada. L3V 6H1 David Eyre, Owner. Phone/Fax 705 326 7171 Agents for E.H.Thorne & B.J.Sherriff UK http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks ********************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 13:12:39 -0500 Reply-To: beeworks@muskoka.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology Comments: Authenticated sender is From: David Eyre Organization: beeworks Subject: Re: NOSEMA Comments: To: bjhensel@metro.net MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT On 11 Jan 97 at 22:39, BRIAN HENSEL wrote: Re: NOSEMA > Now after all this rain they were cooped up in their hive for > weeks, and I have found little brown trails on the front entrance and > sides of the hive. I also saw many bee's crawling around in front of the > hive unable to fly. They will climb up the surrounding brush to die. > I have put their feeder back on with treated syrup. Everything I > have been able to find in books and the Internet say to use Fumidil B. > for the prevention of Nosema, but nothing about what to do when they > have Nosema. These are classic symtoms of Trachael mite. The inability to fly. My experience of Nosema is, greasey, black bees which tend to die in the hive, then get carried out by the young bees. With T-mite the bees will flow out from the hive and die outside the hive. Cures? not much you can do at this late stage, perhaps add a crisco pattie with wintergreen you might be able to save them. If I am wrong, then overdose with Fumidil will help. A long time ago I had a bad case of Nosema, (long before T-mites) and cured it by tripling Fumidil. FWIW ********************************************************* The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive Unit 2, Orillia, Ontario, Canada. L3V 6H1 David Eyre, Owner. Phone/Fax 705 326 7171 Agents for E.H.Thorne & B.J.Sherriff UK http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks ********************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 13:09:48 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Ian Watson Subject: Feeder Bags or Boardmans In-Reply-To: <19970113.233639.10143.2.visel7@juno.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Tue, 14 Jan 1997, Gerry Visel wrote: > I also had problems with slow drinkers at the boardman feeders. When > I put them on the front of the hive, the diurnal heating/cooling pumped > them empty before the bees could drink. The leakage drew yellow jackets, > which spread into the hives. Even placed on inner covers, they only drew > a few bees, and some even got mold on the syrup, it took them so long to > take down. Interesting....I had very good success with Boardman feeders. In the Fall I was feeding with TM and Fumigilin both in a strong syrup. On a nice sunny day, if I filled up the Mason jars up in the morning they would be empty by mid-to-late afternoon. On the other hand, when feeding with gallon pails on top of the hives, the bees would hardly touch it and it would go bad. I haven't tried the Baggie feeders yet. Cheers, Ian @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ Ian Watson @ @ iwatson@freenet.npiec.on.ca @ @ @ @ THREE BEES: @ @ Bach singer ,/// @ @ Bee keeper >8'III}- @ @ Bell ringer ',\\\ @ @ @ @ 5 hives, 2 years in Beekeeping @ @ St. Catharines, Canada @ @ "I BEE, therefore I am" @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 16:04:59 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Frank Humphrey Subject: Re: Varroa and Chalkbrood Comments: To: beeworks@muskoka.net MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ---------- > > > 2 Why do we requeen, when it has been proved that it is not genetic. > > > Comments? > it's caused by dampness, it's caused by chilled brood" neither of the > above is caused by the Queen! I know the accepted procedure is to requeen. > My point, if we have a good strong laying queen, why bother to change her, > when it's not her fault. > I tend to question some of our accepted methods, some just don't make > sense to me and this is one of them! > Any one want to comment? > > > ********************************************************* > The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive Unit 2, Orillia, > Ontario, Canada. L3V 6H1 > David Eyre, Owner. Phone/Fax 705 326 7171 > Agents for E.H.Thorne & B.J.Sherriff UK > http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks > ********************************************************* I have had very few cases of chalkbrood so I can't say why it works. I was advised to give the colony a frame of sealed brood from a strong colony and a new queen. This has always worked well for me. It may be that the colony and it's queen are weakened by the decease. Adding a frame of sealed brood would add new house bees and a new young queen may increase egg laying. One incident of chalkbrood occurred two years ago and I still don't understand why. I have a friend who sells nucs and queens on request. He orders them in from a commercial beekeeper who has started selling excess bees and queens. He had ordered 3 queens for a customer and the customer only took 2. After about a week and a half, he brought the queen to me because she was about dead and wanted me to use her if I could. I put her in a nursery hive and got her back on her feet then used her to requeen a swarm that had lost their queen. She began laying right away and soon filled the comb that the swarm had drawn out. Most of that brood became chalkbrood. It was mid summer and dry. I gave the colony a frame of sealed brood and the queen that I had originally ordered for that colony. Two weeks that colony was on the mend and never looked back. Frank Humphrey beekeepr@cdc.net ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 00:01:35 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Glyn Davies Subject: Re: Varroa and Chalkbrood Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 13:12 14/01/97 -0500, David Eyre wrote: >There seems to be a variety of views regarding chalkbrood. "it's a spore, >it's caused by dampness, it's caused by chilled brood" neither of the >above is caused by the Queen! I know the accepted procedure is to requeen. >My point, if we have a good strong laying queen, why bother to change her, >when it's not her fault. > I tend to question some of our accepted methods, some just don't make >sense to me and this is one of them! > Any one want to comment? > > >********************************************************* >The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive Unit 2, Orillia, >Ontario, Canada. L3V 6H1 >David Eyre, Owner. Phone/Fax 705 326 7171 >Agents for E.H.Thorne & B.J.Sherriff UK >http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks >********************************************************* > David, I think it is probably exposure to all three factors together with an inherited susceptibility for the disease to develop in the larvae given exposure to these conditions. Around 1920 my father, then 14, was exposed to dampness, cold and presumably certain "spores". He developed rheumatic fever and suffered with a damaged heart for the rest of his life. I have been told that susceptibility to r.fever in humans is inherited. Fortunately for him and me, there has been no policy for the culling of humans in UK for quite a few years, at least not for contracting rheumatic fever, and as my childhood was a lot more comfortable than his, my susceptibilty has never been put to the test. However, although some Q.bees may deserve more respect than some people, I still think we should apply eugenic principles to beekeeping and try to breed an improved race!! But I suppose that means we have to agree on what is "improvement"! Regards, Glyn Davies, Ashburton, Devon UK ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 20:57:19 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "David E. Pritchard" <102361.222@compuserve.com> Subject: Re: Varroa and Chalkbrood From: Alida Francisco Janmaat Subject: Varroa and Chalkbrood Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Roy Nettlebeck Subject: Re: Flooding. Comments: To: David Eyre In-Reply-To: <199701132050.PAA14496@segwun.muskoka.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII n On Mon, 13 Jan 1997, David Eyre wrote: > The message from Andy regarding the California flooding was received > with shock and horror. This has to be a disaster of mammoth proportions. > To recover the equipment alone will takes weeks. The cost to others > around may be incalculable. I would suggest it will be enough to put > some out of business! > Is there anything we can do as a group to help alleviate the > problem? > > ********************************************************* HI , We had the same type of problem in California 2 years ago. After Andy did his post , I called down to where I'm getting my bees in the spring.My source is ok but there were some around Yuba City that did get cleaned out pretty bad.There was ten miles along the river that did get wipped out. Last night I talked to a lady that gathers information for the US government on honey production and numbers of hives.The numbers are still coming in , but that 10 mile strech took out 16,000 hives.We are better off with the problem now then in 2-3 weeks from now.All the bees are not in the area for Almounds.I don't like to see us loose any hives, but it could have been much worse. I can't remember the total number that are trucked into California for pollenation , the # is way over 50,000 hives.We do not need a lose of one more hive , with the other problems that we have.The winter loss in the USA will be more than expected. We had a bad winter loss last year in some parts of the country.That did not get everyones attention and the numbers will show that we did not turn the corner on Varroa + its little pathogens that come along for the ride. We all need to help get more people back into beekeeping. It can help soften the fall.Too many eggs in one basket is not smart business.We better take a very good look at what we are doing in agriculture and see if it works with or against nature. If its against nature , we loose. David , we will come out of this flooding loss , but I hope we come out a little smarter and take a better look at the big picture.Progress should be made off of our mistakes.We study nature at these little finite points and we have so much space between them , that the picture is not clear or true in some cases. Its like the Atom, a very few particles and a lot of space.We find this space to be very important. We as man know very little about the bee.We have millions of pages of research and we know the observed behavior for one point at a time with the rest space that we are trying to fill in.That is the reason I value our researchers so much.It is very important to learn as much as we can about the Honey Bee.We are part of its world.The view is different when we come down off of the mountain that we have made for ourselves. Best Regards Roy ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 06:27:00 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Andy Nachbaur Organization: WILD BEE'S BBS (209) 826-8107 LOS BANOS, CA Subject: Re: Flooding. > HI , We had the same type of problem in California 2 years ago. >After Andy did his post , I called down to where I'm getting my bees in >the spring.My source is ok but there were some around Yuba City that did >get cleaned out pretty bad.There was ten miles along the river that did >get wipped out. Hi Roy, One guy told me from the air that at one time he could see bee hives the full length of the river system into the San Francisco Bay from both the north and southern river systems. > Last night I talked to a lady that gathers information for the US >government on honey production and numbers of hives.The numbers are still >coming in , but that 10 mile strech took out 16,000 hives. Most of the information is incomplete, but I got one report that one beekeeper or group of beekeepers from Florida lost 11,000 from one holding yard. I did not report that because I have not had a chance to confirm it. I would not be surprised that the total numbers will be close to 100,000, but thats just an educated guess at this time. >off with the problem now then in 2-3 weeks from now.All the bees are not >in the area for Almounds.I don't like to see us loose any hives, but it >could have been much worse. I can't remember the total number that are >trucked into California for pollenation , the # is way over 50,000 >hives.We do not need a lose of one more hive , with the other problems California receives closer to 450,000 hives each winter and spring from out of state for almond pollination. Several honey bee keepers bring in 10,000 or more hives each and many bring in 5,000+. The total lost from this one big storm that affected the river systems from Fresno north will be between 8 and 10% of the total number of hives in California which are estimated at 850-900,000. >that we have.The winter loss in the USA will be more than expected. We had NEWS to me, most beekeepers here report no unusual losses at this time. > We all need to help get more people back into beekeeping. It can help >soften the fall.Too many eggs in one basket is not smart business.We The "too many eggs in one basket" can be expressed as too many bees in one area and this is in my opinion the reason for all the new problems beekeepers are having today such as mites.... >better take a very good look at what we are doing in agriculture and see >if it works with or against nature. If its against nature , we loose. The danger in this is that we may find that we are no longer needed..! > David , we will come out of this flooding loss , but I hope we come out a Some will and some won't it depends more on their personal financial condition then anything else, speaking from my own experience which I won't bore you with the details except to say the shock of losing one's ability to provide his livelihood is something that is no difference then a death in the family, or a marriage turned bad. Some people get over it real fast and start right over and some never do. >of its world.The view is different when we come down off of the mountain >that we have made for ourselves. Yeh, I been there, and in the long fall from my high mountain its the first stop that gets you, the trip down was not that bad. ttul, the OLd Drone (c) Permission is granted to freely copy this document in any form, or to print for any use. (w)Opinions are not necessarily facts. Use at own risk. --- ~ QMPro 1.53 ~ http://www.kuai.se/~beeman/ ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 01:28:41 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Phil Veldhuis Organization: University of Manitoba Subject: Best of Bee-L MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The new list should answer the concerns I expressed recently on this list; and the concerns of most of the people who responded privately to that post. Thank you "we" (Allen and Co.) for taking the initiative here. Phil ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 00:47:06 -0800 Reply-To: "bjhensel@metro.net"@metro.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: BRIAN HENSEL <"bjhensel@metro.net"@metro.net> Subject: THANK YOU ,RE: NOSEMA MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Thank you very much, to all of you that responded to my questions about Nosema. This is what makes BEE-L such a wonderful asset to beekeeping. I needed some help, and suggestions on what to do with my hive, and I got it. I have only one hive for now, that I have worked hard to save, and I have come along way, and I will not give up now. Some would say that It's time to fold up and get some package bee's this spring, and maybe I will have to, but this hive has gone from a double full bodied hive just packed with bee's, to a single deep hive with just only three frames of brood. Varroa devastated this colony. As I said before I discovered this hive in an old orchard, and they were in a stack of old bee hives, stacked there eight years ago by a beekeeper that passed away. He used to pollinate this orchard, before my neighbors bought the property. The hive was stacked with a shallow on the bottom then two deeps topped by another shallow. The bee's propolised all the major cracks, due to the fact that the stack was leaning and not lined up, with 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the lower boxes open on the top. I rushed, out after my neighbors said I could have the hive, and purchased a couple deep boxes and shallow supers, from the only feed store that carries beekeeping supplies. I looked up a local beekeeper, to get some help in a crash course in beekeeping, when I learned about varroa. He suspected that the hive would be infested with varroa, and he was right. It was a huge job to move them into a new hive. The frames were totally propalized, and stuck. I remember working till sweat was pouring into my eyes, and after 30 minutes I was only able to get three shallow frames out that were full of honey. The bee's were nasty and I was very nervous about getting stung. I almost gave up. I waited till the next day and continued the job, till it was done. After I got them moved in, I noticed that the brood was scattered, and there were many small bee's with shriveled wings. They were dying like mad, I watched the bee's carry many bee's out that were sick or dead day after day. I went out and purchased Apistan and put in the strips. I saw bee's coming out the entrance and shack fiercely, and could see them shacking the varroa off their backs. The whole floor of the hive was peppered with dead varroa by the next day, however the sealed brood also contained varroa. I removed some bee's from their capped cells and could see two or three mites per cell. As time went on there weren't enough bee's to cover the brood, and many died from being chilled. I removed many frames of dead brood that had been uncapped by the bee's. I requeened, once I got the mites under control. I treated with Terramycin, because with all the dead brood I didn't want any further problems. I was feeding them syrup, and grease patties, but I waited too late to put on Fumidil-B, because I was afraid of combining Terramycin and Fumidil-B. The bee's didn't take up enough syrup. With all the responses I got, the overall suggestion was to try the baggy feeder method. I put on a bag this morning, and checked them just before dark and I could not believe my eyes. They were clumped up all in rows drinking it down. It is almost gone. I will put on another bag tomorrow, if they use it all. I put Fumidil-b in the syrup, so I think that they will get enough this time, and then I will work on getting rid of the original comb. I can't get rid of it yet because it contains pollen, honey and healthy brood. Even though I see some bee's with Nosema, this is the best they have been since last summer. I have now about 6-7 frames of brood and they are getting stronger and stronger. I think I will beat this newest problem, and I owe it all to all of you, and Bee-l. I have been reading every posting to this list and I have learned allot in the past 6 months since I signed up. Even though there have been some tempers flaring, and disagreements on specific practices, that's what makes Bee-l so special. We all have one thing in common, and that is the love for bee's and the science of beekeeping. I will always have bee's now and for the rest of my life. My 8 year old daughter loves to learn along with me, and look at all the great web pages, and software now available about bee's. THANKS AGAIN!!!!!!!!! BRIAN HENSEL bjhensel@metro.net Santa Rosa California ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 10:40:52 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: January issue of APIS Comments: To: General questions MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT The January 1997 issue of APIS--Apicultural Information and Issues (ISSN 0889-3764), the monthly Cooperative Extension beekeeping newsletter from the University of Florida is being printed and has been sent to the Apis-L mailing list. This issue contains articles on an editorial in The New York Times concerning endangered honey bees, inescapable change beekeepers are facing and more on oils of essence in Varroa control. The issue can be directly accessed using the world wide web: http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/apis97/apjan97.htm As always, it is available on the IFAS VAX gopher: gopher://gnv.ifas.ufl.edu/11gopher_root3%3a%5bdatabase%5d Those wishing to receive the APIS newsletter electronically on a monthly basis as it is published can subscribe directly by sending a message to LISTSERV@NERVM.NERDC.UFL.EDU, and entering on the first line of the body of the text, NOT the subject line, the following: Subscribe Apis-L Your First Name Your Last Name. Here's what the screen looked like when I subscribed: -------------------------------------------------- To :listserv@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu Cc : Attchmnt: Subject : -------Message Text-------- subscribe apis-L Tom Sanford +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Malcolm (Tom) Sanford Extension Apiculturist University of Florida Mailing Address: Bldg 970, Hull Rd., Gainesville, FL 32611-0620 Voice phone 352/392-1801, Ext. 143 FAX 352/392-0190 INTERNET:MTS@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU ==================================================================== Publisher of APIS -- http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/apis.htm Instructor of Principles of Entomology, ENY 3005-- http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/eny3005/eny3005syl.htm +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 13:52:55 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Ian Watson Subject: Re: THANK YOU ,RE: NOSEMA Comments: To: BRIAN HENSEL <"bjhensel@metro.net"@metro.net> In-Reply-To: <06491656704060@metro.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Wed, 15 Jan 1997, BRIAN HENSEL wrote: > Thank you very much, to all of you that responded to my questions about > Nosema. This is what makes BEE-L such a wonderful asset to beekeeping. > I needed some help, and suggestions on what to do with my hive, and I > I think I will beat this newest problem, and I owe it all to all of > you, and Bee-l. I have been reading every posting to this list and I > have learned allot in the past 6 months since I signed up. Even though > there have been some tempers flaring, and disagreements on specific > practices, that's what makes Bee-l so special. We all have one thing in > common, and that is the love for bee's and the science of beekeeping. I > will always have bee's now and for the rest of my life. I agree! As a new beekeeper, this list has been very helpfull and also fun. As I sit here at the computer, I look out the window into the backyard and my 5 snow-covered, insulated, medicated, ventilated and heavy-with-honey hives.....and dream of Spring and the happy hum of the girls. Cheers! @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ Ian Watson @ @ iwatson@freenet.npiec.on.ca @ @ @ @ THREE BEES: @ @ Bach singer ,/// @ @ Bee keeper >8'III}- @ @ Bell ringer ',\\\ @ @ @ @ 4 hives, 2 years in Beekeeping @ @ St. Catharines, Canada @ @ "I BEE, therefore I am" @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 16:38:36 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: rwatson Subject: Help MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Does anyone know the three words in the dictionary that end in "gry". I have found two and need the other one. Please put answers over the bee list, as my address will be gone in a day or so. So mail to the address above. Thanks R.Watson ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 16:51:16 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Robert Watson Subject: oops In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Apparently I posted something...Sorry...everything crashed while replying to my brother and when I came back online I had a message saying that I had posted to the Bee-L....weird! Rob Robert C.L. Watson rwatson1@freenet.npiec.on.ca ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 22:32:10 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Glyn Davies Subject: Re: Best of Bee-L Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 01:28 14/01/97 -0600,Phil Veldhuis wrote: >The new list should answer the concerns I expressed recently on this >list; and the concerns of most of the people who responded privately to >that post. > >Thank you "we" (Allen and Co.) for taking the initiative here. > >Phil > I agree and add my thanks to " we" also. Although originally a "line splitter" the reasons against were well presented and convinced me to change my mind. I was still worried however that two years on and with increased membership the daily mail, although interesting and important, would leave no time for handling bees and maintaining their records. The new list seems to be good solution to a problem that seemed inevitable. By the way has anyone devised a quick system of record keeping? I had a microcassette recorder as a Christmas present that I am hoping will do away with a messy notebook and blunt pencil. Has anyone prepared a spreadsheet which summarises a year in the life of a hive and allows a link to previous and future years? What are the most important things to record? Regards, Glyn Davies, Ashburton, Devon UK ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 22:32:14 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Glyn Davies Subject: Chalk Brood; Changes in Thinking Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Although not very pleasant, Chalk brood is not the devastating plague in the way that others are currently worrying us. Len Heath, who recently retired as Professor of Biology at Plymouth University, researched the life history of Chalk brood for almost 20 years. In a recent article in Devon's magazine "BEEKEEPING" Len compared the generally accepted understanding of the disease as it was in 1975, with our present knowledge. Much of the change is a result of Len's discoveries. >From "BEEKEEPING" Nov 1996 Chalk Brood is: 1975 An epidemic disease caused by the minute spores of a mould. It is common in damp areas and affects drone brood more than worker brood. The spores are fed to brood in their food. They germinate in the anaerobic conditions of the larval gut. If the brood is chilled then the mould grows all through the larva and mummifies the body. If both sexes of the fungus are present then spores are formed and the mummy is black. If only one sex of the fungus is present then the mummy remains white. Mummies are ejected by the worker bees and the spores on them are wind or splash dispersed onto the foliage and flowers where they are picked up by forager bees and infect other colonies. 1996 An endemic disease caused by the minute spores of a mould. It primarily attacks genetically susceptible bees under various physiological stresses. The spores are fed to larvae in their food. They germinate in the contents of the gut, stimulated to do so by the high carbon dioxide content and the fungus grows through the body tisues to form a "mummy". Depending on the exact conditions under which the mummy is formed, it may or may not produce spores. Mummies are ejected by worker bees which become covered in the sticky spores and spread them to all contents of the hive. Bees carry spores on their bodies, so all new colonies are infected from day one. End of quote. I think these two accounts show how preconceived ideas are brought into question and revised by real scientific investigation. Moreover, there are obviously still many questions unanswered. eg "What are the physiological stresses that induces attack? What are the conditions that induce spore formation?" As knowledge develops I think that at least we start to ask more relevant questions but there are always more that arise. As a practical matter it seems wise to me to get rid of dubious queens and rear new ones from selected stocks. This is where bee clubs are so valuable to beekeepers with only a few colonies; and ultimately to all. Best Wishes, Glyn Davies, Ashburton, Devon UK ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 21:54:00 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Andy Nachbaur Organization: WILD BEE'S BBS (209) 826-8107 LOS BANOS, CA Subject: JIM SMITH Today I received a tearful phone call from Dee Lusby (sp) of Tucson, Arizona to inform me that Jim Smith from Yuma, Arizona passed away this AM Jan 15, 1997. She asked me to inform the industry, and I am sure she did not know that Jim was a long time friend of myself as well as many in the bee industry and agriculture in general as he was also a good family farmer as well as a beekeeper. I will not go into details of his accomplishments in life as I am sure others who knew him better will take care of that. Personally I knew him as a fellow commercial beekeeper who shared with me a interest in bee research, and was quick to share his ideas with me and others. As a man he was better then most and when my x wife's first husband was taken early from a heart attack he was the first to offer help in keeping the family beekeeping business going knowing that a young widow with 4 small kids would need help. There is much more but I am not up to it right now, and I hope that others who know him will not hesitate to add to this tread. I often wonder as I get older who will be left to remember the good times in beekeeping as it does seem so unfair that all the beekeeper in my generation seem to pass on so young. I will miss Jim Smith but will remember the experiences he shared with me, and the kindness he showed my family and all beekeepers who were all his friends. I can say I never heard him express a negative opinion of any of his fellow beekeepers. I was blessed in knowing him! ttul Andy- --- ~ QMPro 1.53 ~ ... Yet, like the bee returning to her queen, ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 21:20:15 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Robert Watson Subject: Re: spurious "help" request In-Reply-To: <199701152232.WAA20575@hermes.zynet.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Someone must have posted that stupid HELP request using my address, somehow... Please don't send me any more answers; I didn't ask the question, and as far as I know I will still have an email address for at least a year from now. Very strange...someone's having fun at my expense. Regards, Rob ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 23:20:03 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Bill Miller Subject: Re: Plastic frames and foundation Are Pierco 1 - piece frames the way to go? As I threw out my 1996 catalogs, I can't confirm the prices, but as I recall, a new wood medium frame with plastic foundation was more expensive than a new all-plastic medium frame (I only use mediums). Add to that your assembly time for the wood frame and potential for wax moth damage, and I contend the all-plastic frame wins the cost analysis hands down. W. G. Miller Gaithersburg, MD ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 23:33:14 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Bill Miller Subject: Re: eradication of Varroa So, rendering Varroa extinct is being proposed. Understand that I find Varroa to be as much of a problem as anyone else. But I see two problems with an effort to make Varroa extinct. 1) Getting all the mites will take an enormous amount of effort, and short of destroying every colony of Apis Melifera and Apis cerrana honey bees in the world is probably beyond our current technical capability. 2) When we hit 99.9% eradication, someone will put Varroa jacobsoni on an Endagered Species list, thereby making it illegal to do anything that might harm them. No, I am afraid we will have to live with Varroa. If a permanent cure comes, it will probably be in the form of bees that can live with the mites. W. G. Miller Gaithersburg, MD ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 03:17:58 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: MIDNITEBEE Subject: sourwood honey MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit http://www.cybertours.com/~midnitebee/ Anyone have sourwood honey? Email me directly at midnitebee@cybertours.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 09:50:52 U Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Greg Hunt Subject: Thanks-Nosema This is just some quick advice in response to Brian Hensel's experience with re-hiving a colony in abandoned equipment. It sounds like Brian did a good job in trying to clean up the mites and Nosema, but I would suggest that people in this situation shoud not requeen. If those bees represent a colony that survived on its own for years rather than a recent swarm, they may have some resistance to mites by natural selection. From the description, it sounded like they had good hygienic behavior which helps bees resist many brood diseases (like Varroa). Unfortunately, one loses the genetic stock when requeening. Consider letting the bees raise their own queens, or raise queens yourself. Greg J. Hunt Honey Bee Specialist Dept of Entomology Purdue University West Lafayette, IN ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 08:36:13 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Eric Abell Subject: Re: Feeder Bags or Boardmans Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Ian, A few years ago I was instrumental in developing a styrofoam hive top feeder. Although it was subject to some damage in use, it is the fastest feeder I have ever used. It is much like a conventional hive top feeder in which the bees come up the middle, over a wall, and down to access the syrup. Most hives would take a gallon a day using this method. Eric At 01:09 PM 14/01/97 -0500, you wrote: >On Tue, 14 Jan 1997, Gerry Visel wrote: > >> I also had problems with slow drinkers at the boardman feeders. When >> I put them on the front of the hive, the diurnal heating/cooling pumped >> them empty before the bees could drink. The leakage drew yellow jackets, >> which spread into the hives. Even placed on inner covers, they only drew >> a few bees, and some even got mold on the syrup, it took them so long to >> take down. > >Interesting....I had very good success with Boardman feeders. In the Fall >I was feeding with TM and Fumigilin both in a strong syrup. On a nice >sunny day, if I filled up the Mason jars up in the morning they would be >empty by mid-to-late afternoon. On the other hand, when feeding with >gallon pails on top of the hives, the bees would hardly touch it and it >would go bad. I haven't tried the Baggie feeders yet. > >Cheers, Ian > Eric Abell Gibbons, Alberta Canada (403) 998 3143 eabell@compusmart.ab.ca ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 10:28:04 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: John A Skinner Subject: Re: NOSEMA Comments: To: BRIAN HENSEL <"bjhensel@metro.net"@metro.net> In-Reply-To: <04414506911447@metro.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Brian and others, Greetings from Tennessee, Nosema seems to be a very common malady. Hope some of the info below will be helpful to you and your ladies (joke only). John A. Skinner 218 Ellington Hall Extension Apiculturist University of Tennessee jskinner@utk.edu Knoxville, TN 37901 (423)974-7138 On Sat, 11 Jan 1997, BRIAN HENSEL wrote: > Hi everyone. > Can someone help me with a problem I am having with my hive? It > seems due to the bad weather we just got here in California, my bee's > have come down with what I think is Nosema. One suggestion would be to find out if you have Nosema. 1) Grasp an adult bee by the head and by the tip of abdomen and pull. With a little prcatice the entire gut will be exposed. Look at the middle part, A normal bee's midgut will be darkened and "ringed", it will have circilar constictions along it's surface. An infected gut will be bloated, whitish, and the constrictions will not be as clearly visible. This technique tells you that the bees have a gut problem, most likely Nosema. For a definitive id you will need to look for microscopic spores ( see 2 below) 2) Remove 10 bee abdomens (the "book" says bees stored in alcohol will do but I prefer fresh) and grind them with a mortar and pestle (or bottom of round container placed in a saucer) with an ounce of water until you have a "disgusting" slurry. Then put a drop on a microscope slide, add a cover slip and view at 400x using a compound microscope. You may be able to ask a science teacher, county agent, apiary inspector, bee specialist, etc. to loan you a scope or do the slide for you. You look for numerous slighly irregular egg-shaped spores in the liquid. Nosema affects the midgut. "bad" weather usually confines bees to the hive. When confined they don't defacate awy from the hive as usual. When they do get out, they release quicker usually leaving a yellow/brown spotting on the front of the hive. When Nosema gets real bad the bees will let go inside the hive, coating the topbars yellow. > I was able to get rid of > the mites, but the hive suffered greatly. > I requeened, and treated them with terramycin. By the time I got > all of this accomplished, I treated with fumidil b. The instructions > state that the hive should get two gallons of the syrup, however the > bee's at that time would only take about 2 quarts. > Now after all this rain they were cooped up in their hive for > weeks, and I have found little brown trails on the front entrance and > sides of the hive. I also saw many bee's crawling around in front of the > hive unable to fly. They will climb up the surrounding brush to die. Crawling bees and yellow/brown trails are sometines observed with tracheal infestations > I have put their feeder back on with treated syrup. Everything I > have been able to find in books and the Internet say to use Fumidil B. > for the prevention of Nosema, but nothing about what to do when they > have Nosema. My understanding is that Fumadil treats and prevents Nosema. The hive has ventilation holes, but I noticed some of the > combs where they have stored pollen, have a white mold growing over it. > I have removed some of the frames, afraid that this might be the source > of the Nosema. Nosema is a very common malady. Surveys conducted preeviously indicate widespread occurence. Hey, it's not your fault. Some of the frames of capped honey stores have also a > coating very thin of some white mold. I have wiped lightly across these > frames, but I don't want to remove them, because I'm afraid of leaving > them with not enough honey to make it through the rest of the winter. > If anybody can give me some tips on what I can do to get rid of the > Nosema problem I would be grateful. I think that they just did not get > enough Fumidil B. What can I do if they won't take enough syrup? Is it > OK to mix Fumidil B. with grease patties? It's not reccomended to mix with shortening. Speaking of mixing, Fumadil is a biological that is contained in a talc like media athat will not dissolve entirely in water. I mix the quantity needed in a one or two cup measuring cup with slightly warm (not hot) water and stir vigorously for several minutes. Then I add the water/fumadil solution to the sugar syrup and mix thouroughly before adding to the feeder. > > THANK YOU VERY MUCH > BRIAN HENSEL > bjhensel@metro.net > Santa Rosa, California > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 12:13:06 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Ian Watson Subject: Re: Feeder Bags or Boardmans In-Reply-To: <199701161536.IAA29625@bernie.compusmart.ab.ca> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Thu, 16 Jan 1997, Eric Abell wrote: > Ian, > > A few years ago I was instrumental in developing a styrofoam hive top > feeder. Although it was subject to some damage in use, it is the fastest > feeder I have ever used. It is much like a conventional hive top feeder in > which the bees come up the middle, over a wall, and down to access the > syrup. Most hives would take a gallon a day using this method. Eric, is this styrofoam feeder available commercially? or could you reply with more details of its design?....That is quite a lot of syrup to be taken in a day and I would be interested in using this type of feeder. Thanks, Ian :) @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ Ian Watson @ @ iwatson@freenet.npiec.on.ca @ @ @ @ THREE BEES: @ @ Bach singer ,/// @ @ Bee keeper >8'III}- @ @ Bell ringer ',\\\ @ @ @ @ 5 hives, 2 years in Beekeeping @ @ St. Catharines, Canada @ @ "I BEE, therefore I am" @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 12:36:44 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Joel W. Govostes" Subject: Re: Boardmans Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The Boardman feeders are useful once the weather is warm, especially for feeding new nucs which have been transferred to full-size hives in spring. The visibility of the syrup level and ease in refilling (or just replacing with full jars) are both pluses. The mayo-size jar for such feeders is too small, IMO. I have switched to a larger round glass jar, closer to 1/2 gallon size (perhaps somewhat less), which has the same top opening. These will last much longer between feedings. If you have Boardmans and you have given up on them, you might try the bigger jar and find them very serviceable in many feeding applications. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 12:44:44 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "(Thomas) (Cornick)" Subject: styrofoam hives On the beekeepers homepage from Sweden they show stryfoam hives . Is there anything like this available here in the US? ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 12:36:24 -0500 Reply-To: dronebee@norfolk.infi.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Dr. Pedro Rodriguez" Organization: InfiNet Subject: Re: Feeder Bags or Boardmans MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit bee-l@cnsibm.albany.edu wrote: > > On Thu, 16 Jan 1997, Eric Abell wrote: > > Ian, > > > > A few years ago I was instrumental in developing a styrofoam hive top > > feeder. Although it was subject to some damage in use, it is the fastest > > feeder I have ever used. It is much like a conventional hive top feeder in > > which the bees come up the middle, over a wall, and down to access the syrup. snip > > Eric, is this styrofoam feeder available commercially? or could you reply > with more details of its design?....snip > Thanks, Ian :) Hello to all: I have had similar results with division board feeders (Dadant's catalogue M00859) by simply dropping strips of stryrofoam on top of the fluid to keep the bees from drowning! I have thought about the bees preference for this type of feeder, and have decided that it must be due to a combination of increased ability of detection of food (larger area exposed) and increased area for the bees from which to feed. Not only do they feed at very high rates but hardly any bees drown. Regards. Dr. Pedro Rodriguez Virginia Beach, Virginia USA > > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 14:29:05 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: James D Satterfield Subject: Top-Bar Hive Beekeeping Web Pages MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII I have gotten a web page up that is devoted exclusively to beekeeping in tbh's. The pages center around five files of FAQ's with links in a number of different areas. A link "Original Information" has the information and drawings of Modified Tanzanian Top-Bar Hives that I got from Paul Magnuson. These drawings should give you some very good plans for making tbh's. Some of the links have .gif files that are large. I'm trying to learn how to make the images smaller so that they will load faster. There was a glitch in a link in queen rearing when I checked using Netscape earlier. I hope that I've corrected it...if not, I will. I've written the pages in very basic html so that they can be read with a LYNX browser which some of you may be using. I've viewed the pages with Netscape, Slipknot, and Cello. I would hope to keep these web pages growing. I will add some more references to articles on building and managing tbh's. I'll also add a few links to major sources of conventional beekeeping . For those of you who may not have access to the web, I will mail the FAQ's to you in two files, about 35K each, if you wish. Please let me know. I don't have an auto-mailer, so if there is a heavy response...it may take a little time to get the stuff to you. Thanks to all of you who gave me assistance in getting these pages up. I also look forward to hearing from all of you who can offer further suggestions or make contributions for posting. Try this URL: http://www.gsu.edu/~biojdsx/main.htm I hope that you find this information useful. Cordially yours, Jim --------------------------------------------------------------- | James D. Satterfield | E-Mail: jsatt@gsu.edu | | -------------------------------- | 258 Ridge Pine Drive Canton is about 40 mi/64 km | | Canton, GA 30114, USA north of Atlanta, Georgia USA | | Telephone (770) 479-4784 | --------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 16:10:32 -0500 Reply-To: beeworks@muskoka.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology Comments: Authenticated sender is From: David Eyre Organization: beeworks Subject: Re: Best of Bee-L MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT On 15 Jan 97 at 22:32, Glyn Davies wrote: Re: Best of Bee-L > At 01:28 14/01/97 -0600,Phil Veldhuis wrote: > >The new list should answer the concerns I expressed recently on this > >list; and the concerns of most of the people who responded privately to > >that post. > > > >Thank you "we" (Allen and Co.) for taking the initiative here. > I agree and add my thanks to " we" also. Although originally a "line > splitter" the reasons against were well presented and convinced me to > change my mind. I was still worried however that two years on and with > increased membership the daily mail, although interesting and important, > would leave no time for handling bees and maintaining their records. The new > list seems to be good solution to a problem that seemed inevitable. I think you are wrong. Two obvious errors on examination of the proposal to produce a second list. Firstly. To subscribe to Bestofbee means to give up the right to reply as there will be no postings made. All it will be is a condensed version of Bee-L. Secondly. To post to Bestofbee means you have to subscribe to Bee-L, which means you now will receive two mailing lists. The whole thing is futile waste of time!!! ********************************************************* The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive Unit 2, Orillia, Ontario, Canada. L3V 6H1 David Eyre, Owner. Phone/Fax 705 326 7171 Agents for E.H.Thorne & B.J.Sherriff UK http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks ********************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 15:13:08 -0600 Reply-To: bbirkey@interaccess.com Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Barry Birkey Organization: www.Birkey.Com Subject: Where's the bullet? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dr. Pedro Rodrigues - When are you going to share with the rest of us on the list, who didn't make it to the East on the 15th, all that you have been alluding to about the mite solution? Eagerly waiting, -Barry -- Barry Birkey West Chicago, Illinois USA bbirkey@interaccess.com http://www.birkey.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 15:21:39 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Ed Levi Subject: Re: JIM SMITH Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I am in shock. I just had the priveledge of getting to know Jim this past week in Memphis. I'm glad I had the time to get to know him and spend some time with him. He had so much to give, was so informed and seemed to be such a wonderful man. He participated in our AIA meetings as well as the Producer's and the Research Conference's. His understanding and level thinking was truly impressive. One thing he stressed several times is that, as a large beekeeper, he had an obligation to farmers, small beekeepers and society in general to do for them the best that he could. He clearly was not just about himself but was a very kind and caring man. I wish I knew him better. Just last Saturday night, in the lobby bar in Memphis, he invited to his home. I wish I'd had the chance. Gladly, I did take the opportunity to compliment him on his insights, modesty and compassion. He was a real asset to the world. Ed Levi ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 22:36:31 +0100 Reply-To: beeman@kuai.se Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: P-O Gustafsson Subject: Styrofoam feeders MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ian Watson wrote: > > > > A few years ago I was instrumental in developing a styrofoam hive top > > feeder. Although it was subject to some damage in use, it is the fastest > > feeder I have ever used. It is much like a conventional hive top feeder in > > which the bees come up the middle, over a wall, and down to access the > > syrup. Most hives would take a gallon a day using this method. > > Eric, is this styrofoam feeder available commercially? or could you reply > with more details of its design?....That is quite a lot of syrup to be > taken in a day and I would be interested in using this type of feeder. Ian, You can see the construction of a styrofoam feeder on my homepage. Those kind of hives are produced by different manufacturers in Europe, if you want a contact mail me privately. -- Regards P-O Gustafsson, Sweden beeman@kuai.se http://www.kuai.se/~beeman/ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 17:39:19 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "" Subject: Re: Plastic frames and foundation Hi All, I am looking for a wiring board. It is a devise that holds the frame and wire securly while you put the wire in the frame. (I like wire frames with wax foundations). There is one in the 1996 Dadant catalogue, but they have discontinued it and I can't seem to find any one who has one for sale. Does any one know where I could purchase one of these? Mary ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 17:54:04 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Beekeepers at Norfolk Subject: Re: Best of Bee-L Comments: To: beeworks@muskoka.net > Secondly. To post to Bestofbee means you have to subscribe to Bee-L, which > means you now will receive two mailing lists. > The whole thing is futile waste of time!!! If you read the announcement carefully, you will observe that the instructions are to SET BEE-L NOMAIL When you subscribe to BestOfBee. That way you are able to post to BEE-L, but will not receive posts from BEE-L itself. BestOfBee had 51 subscribers as of this morning. Thank you for your concern. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 18:53:57 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Beekeepers at Norfolk Subject: Re: Where's the bullet? Comments: To: bbirkey@interaccess.com Dr. Rodriguez spoke at the ABF Convention last night at about 5PM. He described his technique for varroa control to a small, but interested group of listeners. He will be publishing his article in several magazines over the next few months, and we expect to present his results on the net for interested observers to examine. Essentially his method involves using stips of common waxed paper coated with food grade mineral oil. The strips are inserted into the hive and left for two weeks at which time new strips are inserted. Details later. In his tests which are as of yet limited, he had hives go from 54 capped cells per 100 showing varroa to virtually none. He used a number of untreated controls for comparison. They died. Since these are limited tests, they need to be repeated by other beekeepers and by scientists in order to verify that this technique does indeed work under all the various possible situations that beekeepers encounter. For one thing mite drop counts would be very appropriate in susequent tests to establish the rate of mite attrition. It will be interesting to seee how well these results can be duplicated in various locations over the next months. Details of the treatments will follow later. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 19:52:22 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Albert W Needham Subject: Re: Where's the bullet? On Thu, 16 Jan 1997 18:53:57 -0500 Beekeepers at Norfolk writes: >Essentially his method involves using stips of common waxed paper >coated with food grade mineral oil. The strips are inserted into the hive and >left for two weeks at which time new strips are inserted. Details later. Admittedly I am a hobbyist and not a long time experienced Beekeeper as some are on this List. I am sorry, but I do not see this method as that "astounding'! Is it not a "take-off" on grease patties of sorts! Welcome comments from those of you who are experienced commercial beekeepers. No disrespect to the good Doctor! Al ....................................................................................................... Al Needham--Scituate,MA,USA--awneedham@juno.com "The HoneyBee"--An Educational Program About Honey Bees With A Superb Slide Show-Version 2.0 (c) 1997 Download From: HTTP://www.kuai.se/~beeman ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 15:29:00 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Andy Nachbaur Organization: WILD BEE'S BBS (209) 826-8107 LOS BANOS, CA Subject: Jim Smith __________________________________________________________ (//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////) (//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////) /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\ | ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ | | / \___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ \ | | \___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ | | / \___/ \___/ \ | | \___/ \ _ / JIM SMITH Jan 19, 1996 \___/ | | / \ /O O \ _ 67 years Beekeeper Yuma / \ | | \___/ \~~~ / // \ \___/ | | / \ /--\// )) Unexpected heart attack. / \ | | \___/()==/()== \__./ \___/ | | / \()=( ()= ) Services 10 AM Jan 18 / \ | | \___/ \____/ Valley Baptist Yuma Az \___/ | | / \ |||| 3830 West 8th St. / \ | | \___/ (/ \) \___/ | | / \___ Florists 520-344-0100 __/ \ | | \___/ \___ ___ __520-344-4200 ___/ \___/ | | / \___/ \___/ \__ / \___/ \___/ \___/ \ | | \___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ \___/ | :____________________________________________________________: \___________________________________________________________/ ~ QMPro 1.53 ~ ... "Having found the flower and driven a bee away, --- ~ QMPro 1.53 ~ ... The bee, dost thou forget? ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 19:34:49 -0600 Reply-To: bbirkey@interaccess.com Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Barry Birkey Organization: www.Birkey.Com Subject: Re: Best of Bee-L MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Beekeepers at Norfolk wrote: > If you read the announcement carefully, you will observe that the > instructions are to > > SET BEE-L NOMAIL > > When you subscribe to BestOfBee. > > That way you are able to post to BEE-L, but will not receive posts from BEE-L > itself. First, I would greatly appreciate it if the new "mystery" poster of Beekeepers at Norfolk would sign-in with a name. It's frustrating to dialog to an anonymous posting especially when they are giving information about Dr. Rodriguez speaking at the ABF Convention. I think this would be polite to the list. Second, I have no concerns if some people want to subscribe to BestOfBee for what ever their reason is. If I understand it correctly (please let me know if I don't), one can have LISTSERV set so that they would not receive any of the posts from BEE-L. Those on BestOfBee would only receive "the best material (in their opinions)" or "to enjoy a filtered version of BEE-L." At the same time they will still be able to post to BEE-L. This arrangement seems slightly pompous to me. Those on BEE-L will still be getting all the posts including those from anyone who is on BestOfBee but in their (BestOfBee) case, they will just be inputing to the list and those on BEE-L will not be able to directly respond to their post as they will not be getting the posts from BEE-L. Am I missing something here? It sure smells of an underhand arrangement to me. Always open to replies. -Barry -- Barry Birkey West Chicago, Illinois USA bbirkey@interaccess.com http://www.birkey.com ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 20:11:41 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Rebecca Spawn Organization: BlueStem, Inc. Subject: New BeeKeeper MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Greetings! I subscribed to Bee-L about a month ago because I wanted to learn more about keeping bees. I want you all to know, I thoroughly enjoy this list and have no plans of unsubscribing! :-} I've gathered a tremendous amount of information in a very short amount of time. I've wanted to keep bees for many years and have decided it's time to do it. Could someone please send me some basic information on how to get started? Where do I get the bees and all the equipment? What time of year is best to begin? Thank you in advance for your information and suggestions! --Rebecca ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rebecca L. Spawn, Aquatic Ecologist BlueStem Incorporated P.O. Box 2432, Bismarck, North Dakota 58502 e-mail: rlspawn@tic.bisman.com Ph: 701-223-1844 Fax: 701-223-4645 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 19:09:58 -0800 Reply-To: ChuckSoderquist@worldnet.att.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Charles V. Soderquist" Subject: Urban Beekeeping in Denver Comments: To: BEE-L@CNSIBM.ALBANY.EDU. MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit We hobbyist beekeepers in Denver just got a break! For those urban dwellers elsewhere detail check details at this site: http://www.westword.com/1996/current/news2.html -- Charles V. Soderquist (\ {|||8- (/ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 21:57:37 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jinnah Edun Subject: Peter Barrett, Blue Mountains, 50 miles west of Sydney, Australia Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Does anyone have Peter's e-mail address? Abbas Edun ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 01:05:47 -0600 Reply-To: dvisrael@earthlink.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Donald V Israel Subject: Re: Plastic frames and foundation MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi All, > I am looking for a wiring board. It is a devise that holds the frame I believe you may find one at Brushey Mountain. Dial up 1-800-233-7929. Don ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 16:15:04 +0000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Paul Walton Subject: Re: Plastic frames and foundation In-Reply-To: <970115231942_713675035@emout06.mail.aol.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 In article <970115231942_713675035@emout06.mail.aol.com>, Bill Miller writes >Are Pierco 1 - piece frames the way to go? > >As I threw out my 1996 catalogs, I can't confirm the prices, but as I recall, >a new wood medium frame with plastic foundation was more expensive than a new >all-plastic medium frame (I only use mediums). Add to that your assembly >time for the wood frame and potential for wax moth damage, and I contend the >all-plastic frame wins the cost analysis hands down. > >W. G. Miller >Gaithersburg, MD Prices as per Mann Lake's 1996 catalogue: 6 1/4" wood frames = $0.78 each 5 5/8" permadent foundation = $0.76 each 5 5/8" duragilt foundation = $9.45 per 10 sheets 5 5/8" wired beeswax foundation = $5.10 per 10 sheets 6 5/8" Pierco frame/foundation combination = $2.55 each (for 10-20) [Pierco frames are not yet available in the UK, but I understand that Thornes may carry them from next year onwards]. Labour cost is a *BIG* variable! However, these were not the figures quoted in the BEE BIZ article. My comments were addressed to the project appraisal method adopted in that particular article. It may well be that all-plastic frames work out cheaper in the long run but we should always question the assumptions behind our investment decisions. -- Paul Walton Email : Paul@adrem.demon.co.uk Toddington, Bedfordshire, England. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 17:35:21 -0500 Reply-To: dronebee@norfolk.infi.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Dr. Pedro Rodriguez" Organization: InfiNet Subject: Re: eradication of Varroa MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit bee-l@cnsibm.albany.edu wrote: > > So, rendering Varroa extinct is being proposed. snip > W. G. Miller > Gaithersburg, MD Dear Fellow Beekeepers: Please bear with me. I consider this an important message not only to beekeepers but to humanity as well. Parasitic mites of honey bees present a formidable enemy to honey bees and a threat to food production world-wide. It is not only Varroa and tracheal mites. As the rest of the world will soon discover, there is another mite in India which has now claimed Apis mellifera (Italian race) as their choice meal. No one can anticipate or predict mite behavior for the future, only their physical needs . The breeding rate of mites is so short and numerous that they really pose an enormous challenge to scientists to overcome. Hence, the most plausible avenues of conquest of these mites is through interruption of their life cycles with aims at erradication. Chemically, we already know that it can not be achieved because of the mites ability to mutate and develop resistance to chemicals (the fluvalinate story). The solution lies in the utilization of physiological, anatomical and biological characteristics of mites. It took me thirteen years of intensive study to discover a means to employ this combination of factors and to develop an effetive treatment. As promised I have revealed my findings at two public meetings. I seek neither fame nor profit, thus I have no reason for concealing my work. I love honey bees! I feel an obligation to beekeepers in particular and to humanity in general. As I speak, I am making plans for an official publication of my research procedure and findings. These will be available to the general public as soon as I can make arrangements with a publisher(s). I humbly ask for indulgence. I assure all that I am neither lying nor bragging. If my comments sound unusual to some, please reserve your judgement until you have an opportunity to make your own evaluation. Regards. Dr. Pedro Rodriguez Virginia Beach, VA USA ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 20:34:11 -0500 Reply-To: dronebee@norfolk.infi.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Dr. Pedro Rodriguez" Organization: InfiNet Subject: Re: Where's the bullet? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit bee-l@cnsibm.albany.edu wrote: > > On Thu, 16 Jan 1997 18:53:57 -0500 Beekeepers at Norfolk > writes: > > >Essentially his method involves using stips of common waxed paper > >coated with food grade mineral oil. The strips are inserted into the > hive and > >left for two weeks at which time new strips are inserted. Details > later. > > Admittedly I am a hobbyist and not a long time experienced Beekeeper as > some are on this List. > > I am sorry, but I do not see this method as that "astounding'! > > Is it not a "take-off" on grease patties of sorts! > > Welcome comments from those of you who are experienced commercial > beekeepers. > > No disrespect to the good Doctor! > > Al > ....................................................................................................... > Al Needham--Scituate,MA,USA--awneedham@juno.com > "The HoneyBee"--An Educational Program About Honey > Bees With A Superb Slide Show-Version 2.0 (c) 1997 > Download From: HTTP://www.kuai.se/~beeman Hi Al: I am sure that you will when you have all the facts in hand. Just consider this in the meantime: mites/100 capped cell count went from 54 % to 2.0%. Compare that to recorded data for other methods of treatment for a comparable period of time. I would appreciate your comments after you have obtained that evaluation. I am sure that others will also. Regards. Dr. Pedro Rodriguez Virginia Beach, Virginia USA ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 20:42:30 -0500 Reply-To: dronebee@norfolk.infi.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Dr. Pedro Rodriguez" Organization: InfiNet Subject: Re: Where's the bullet? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dr. Pedro Rodriguez wrote: > > bee-l@cnsibm.albany.edu wrote: > > > > On Thu, 16 Jan 1997 18:53:57 -0500 Beekeepers at Norfolk > > writes: > > > > >Essentially his method involves using stips of common waxed paper > > >coated with food grade mineral oil. The strips are inserted into the > > hive and > > >left for two weeks at which time new strips are inserted. Details > > later. > > > > Admittedly I am a hobbyist and not a long time experienced Beekeeper as > > some are on this List. > > > > I am sorry, but I do not see this method as that "astounding'! > > > > Is it not a "take-off" on grease patties of sorts! > > > > Welcome comments from those of you who are experienced commercial > > beekeepers. > > > > No disrespect to the good Doctor! > > > > Al > > ....................................................................................................... > > Al Needham--Scituate,MA,USA--awneedham@juno.com > > "The HoneyBee"--An Educational Program About Honey > > Bees With A Superb Slide Show-Version 2.0 (c) 1997 > > Download From: HTTP://www.kuai.se/~beeman My most sincere apologies: this is an amendment to an earlier post. > Hi Al: > I am sure that you will when you have all the facts in hand. Just > consider this in the meantime:From April 13, 1996 to October 26, 1996, > mites/100 capped cell count went from 54 % to 2.0%. Compare that to > recorded data for other methods of treatment for a comparable period of > time. I would appreciate your comments after you have obtained that > evaluation. I am sure that others will also. > Regards. > Dr. Pedro Rodriguez > Virginia Beach, Virginia USA ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 21:25:39 -0500 Reply-To: dronebee@norfolk.infi.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Dr. Pedro Rodriguez" Organization: InfiNet Subject: Re: New BeeKeeper MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit bee-l@cnsibm.albany.edu wrote: > > Greetings! I subscribed to Bee-L about a month ago because I > wanted to learn more about keeping bees. > I've wanted to keep bees for many years and have decided it's time to > do it. Could someone please send me some basic information on how to > get started? snip > > --Rebecca > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Rebecca L. Spawn, Aquatic Ecologist > BlueStem Incorporated > P.O. Box 2432, Bismarck, North Dakota 58502 > e-mail: rlspawn@tic.bisman.com > Ph: 701-223-1844 Fax: 701-223-4645 Good for you Becky! Welcome to the world of the most amazing creature of our planet. I am sure that you will enjoy yourself and never regret having started! I am sure that other Bee-L reciepients in your area will let you know where you can buy your initial bees and equipment. I'd like to recommend that you contact one of the beekeepers in the area and ask to be allowed to come along on a visit to a bee yard so that you can get a "hands on" evaluation of what it is like. I am sure that any beekeeper in the area will give you a tour. He/she will be able to give you information as to where and what to buy to get started. If I may, I also would like to suggest that you read a basic text in beekeeping. Please do not hesitate to contact me (dronebee@norfolk.infi.net) if you have questions. If I don't know the answer I promise that I will give you a reference point. Good luck, and again, welcome to beekeeping. Dr. Pedro Rodriguez Virginia Beach, Virginia ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 09:03:59 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Tom Jillette Subject: Two Queen Colony Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Greetings to everyone. I'm interested in running a few colonies this coming season with two queens and would like to hear any comments from those who have tried this method. It sounds to me like a reasonable way to split an overwintered colony and build the two halves up together, working on the same honey supers as one big hive and then separating them later to put away for winter. (The Hive and Honey Bee suggests combining them again with the younger queen for winter, which I can see would give a very strong colony with young queen for overwintering). I can see with this method, there would be more work involved in hive checks and honey removal as well. Any tips, comments or experiences with this method? Thanks in advance. Tom (...going into my third year beekeeping) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 14:50:35 +0000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Dave Black Subject: Varroa advice MIME-Version: 1.0 Morning all/Evening all, I am acutely aware of the heady excitement surrounding the 'silver bullet'...... if I can bring you back to earth once more. If you point a browser at and you will see two accounts of the sort of advice I give out. Nothing revolutionary and they've been there awhile. These are not short, but not long and I would appreciate advice or discussion of the contents from my learned friends. If you have any questions for me regretably I won't be able to answer them until Monday. Thanks for your help. My regards -- Dave Black Blacks Bee Gardens, Guildford, GU1 4RN. UK. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 11:00:53 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Florida Extension Apiculturist" Subject: Jim Smith MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT I also was shocked at Jim Smith's death. Just talked to him in Memphis. He was outgoing and intelligent. He also was amenable to new ideas. I saw him for the first time in Toluca, MX when I was invited to the Mexican Seminar; at that time, he lamented that only two people from the U.S. were there to avail themselves of a good opportunity to get up-to-date information on beekeeping south of the border. We will all miss him. Tom Sanford ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 11:02:36 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: James Morton <106074.517@compuserve.com> Subject: Re: eradication of Varroa Dr. Pedro Rodriguez wrote: >As the rest of the world will soon discover, there is another mite in India which has now >claimed Apis mellifera (Italian race) as their choice meal. Parasitism of A. mellifera by Tropilaelaps is very interesting and important, but it's hardly a new phenomenen in India or elsewhere. >The breeding rate of mites is so short and numerous that they really >pose an enormous challenge to scientists to overcome. Well perhaps ... but surely the obvious fact about V. jacobsoni is that its reproductive rate is extremely low in comparison with most other mite parasites and pests . This is actually an enormous point in favour of control. >Hence, the most plausible avenues of conquest of these mites is through interruption of >their life cycles with aims at erradication. Surely this is an enormous non-sequitur. Yes it is logical to interupt the mites life cycle - any method of control that doesn't do this isn't a method of control at all, after all; but it does not follow that because the mites are a big problem and because they can breed we must totally eradicate them to be able control them. Moreover, even if eradication seems an attractive idea, in reality it just isn't feasable since any eradication scheme would have to reach every single mite in every single colony to be a success. I'm sure that this point has been made enough times here before. >Chemically, we already know that it can not be achieved because of the mites ability to mutate and >develop resistance to chemicals (the fluvalinate story). The solution >lies in the utilization of physiological, anatomical and biological >characteristics of mites. It is a problem that mites can develop resistance to chemical treatments used to control them. But rather than throwing our hands up in despair, it is worth remembering that as beekeepers we can prolong the useful life of the chemical treatments that we are using by strictly adhering to the label directions so that we avoid exposing mite populations to sub-lethal doses of the active incredient as it is this which is the factor most likely to cause the development of resistance. I do agree that the long term solution will probably not be based on chemical treatments, and this is one reason why management methods (such as drone trapping) are significant. Finally, although the term chemical treatments tends to be associated with synthetic pyrethroids etc., the 'alternative treatments' sometimes used by beekeepers such as essential oils, formic acid and mineral oils(!) are chemicals too. Their modes of action may be different, but I am aware of no scientific reason that why the same issue of development of mite resistance does not apply equally to these. Perhaps those better informed than me in this field might wish to to comment. Anyway, I should say that I am quite looking forward to receiving details of Dr. Pedro Rodriguez's methods and results to consider. James Morton ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 10:26:40 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Eric Abell Subject: Re: Where's the bullet? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" A >>Essentially his method involves using stips of common waxed paper >>coated with food grade mineral oil. The strips are inserted into the >hive and >>left for two weeks at which time new strips are inserted. Details >later. > >Admittedly I am a hobbyist and not a long time experienced Beekeeper as >some are on this List. > >I am sorry, but I do not see this method as that "astounding'! > >Is it not a "take-off" on grease patties of sorts! Good ideas need not be 'oustanding'. If it works - great! Would the technique be more acceptable it if involved some complex electronics? Eric Eric Abell Gibbons, Alberta Canada (403) 998 3143 eabell@compusmart.ab.ca ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 10:26:31 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Eric Abell Subject: Re: Feeder Bags or Boardmans Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 12:13 PM 16/01/97 -0500, you wrote: >On Thu, 16 Jan 1997, Eric Abell wrote: >> Ian, >> >> A few years ago I was instrumental in developing a styrofoam hive top >> feeder. Although it was subject to some damage in use, it is the fastest >> feeder I have ever used. It is much like a conventional hive top feeder in >> which the bees come up the middle, over a wall, and down to access the >> syrup. Most hives would take a gallon a day using this method. > >Eric, is this styrofoam feeder available commercially? or could you reply >with more details of its design?....That is quite a lot of syrup to be >taken in a day and I would be interested in using this type of feeder. >Thanks, Ian :) > I am not sure if it is still produced. I think not. However, it was produced by a plastics company in Edmonton, Alberta. The feeder holds 4 imperial gallons of syrup. Has marks on inside so that syrup can be measured. From the outside it looks like a shallow super on top of the hive. The bees are allowed up through a slot going entirely accross the frames the width of the box. They go over a lip and down to get to the syrup. A wire screen keeps them from drowning. The feeder is indeed fast to fill and fast for the bees to empty. It works well even in cool weather. It does have some drawbacks however. The bees chew it. While not looking as nice they still work even after having been chewed. It requires a good lid. If the bees are able to get at the syrup by going under the lid they will often drown. In any quantity I found the feeders difficult to transport. They are so light they blow all over and are not tough enough to tie down like supers. An enclosed truck or tarps and lots of ropes will work. If I was to run only a few hives I would likely use these exclusively. I hope this helps. Eric Eric Abell Gibbons, Alberta Canada (403) 998 3143 eabell@compusmart.ab.ca ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 16:52:48 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Glyn Davies Subject: Re: Best of Bee-L Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 16:10 16/01/97 -0500, David Evre wrote: >I think you are wrong. Two obvious errors on examination of the proposal >to produce a second list. > Firstly. To subscribe to Bestofbee means to give up the right to reply as >there will be no postings made. All it will be is a condensed version of >Bee-L. > Secondly. To post to Bestofbee means you have to subscribe to Bee-L, which means >you now will receive two mailing lists. > The whole thing is futile waste of time!!! >The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive Unit 2, Orillia, Ontario, Canada. L3V 6H1 David Eyre, Owner. Phone/Fax 705 326 7171 > David, I think you are are hasty in your judgement. Yes Bee-L is fine at the moment except that, like parts of Canada, it is beginning to signs of stress due to its popularity. This is just OK at the moment but as Bee-L pleasantly caters for everyone from the unknowing to the very knowledgeable and also will become increasingly crowded over the next few years, surely a new system for managing the List has to be sought. Bestofbee is an idea - from people who are prepared to give it a go. Progress is mostly made from efforts that don't quite work out as expected but the attempt has to be made. Aren't Canadians respected world wide for their tolerance and pioneering spirit? Hence "Progress Drive"! Regards, Glyn Davies, Ashburton, Devon UK ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 11:01:38 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: STEVE PHILLIPS Subject: Where's the bullet? I'm curious; did anyone other than the unidentified "Beekeepers at Norfolk" hear Dr. Rodriguez speak at the convention? If so, what were your impressions? ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 13:28:49 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Faith Andrews Bedford Subject: Re: New BeeKeeper In a message dated 97-01-16 21:08:49 EST,Rebbeca S prawn writes: >I've wanted to keep bees for many years . Could someone please send me some basic information on how to >get started? Rebecca: The Hive and the Honeybee and ABC and XYZ of Beekeeping are two good books. Contact Root or Dadant (call 800 operator for numbers) for catalogues of their equipment and/or books.. There are many other good suppliers too: Brushy Ridge, Walter B. Kelley, Mann Lake, etc. A call to your local country extension agent should result in 1) the name of the contact person for your local beekeeping association 2) the name of a local supplier of beekeeping equipment 3) an enthusiastic beekeeper. The best bit of information I was given by an oldtimer was "Read a book first; then we'll talk." How else was I to learn the meaning of such foreign sounded terms as propolis, Varroa, bee-space, supers, etc? I would clearly have wasted his time by sitting down, cold, to have a talk with him. Attend a few beekeeping meetings and just listen. Read, read, read. Listen to this list. > Where do I get the bees and all the equipment?> See above. >What time of year is best to begin?> RIGHT NOW! >Thank you in advance for your information and suggestions!> No thanks are necessary just spread the work and, in a few years, help others. Faith Andrews Bedford, Ivy VA and Tampa > > ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 12:32:54 -0800 Reply-To: leonc@ccinet.ab.ca Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "The L.& J. Christensens" Organization: Ikin Enterprises Ltd. Subject: Bernie Modin MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Just a quick note to those of you who know Bernie Modin. Bernie passed away on the morning of January 16 after a lengthy battle with illness. Although I am saddened by his passing I am also relieved that his discomforts and suffering are ended. Although I haven't known Bernie long I found him to be a wise and knowledgable beekeeper who was willing to help others when he could. He was committed to the concept of beekeepers finding solutions to their problems through cooperation, and respecting one another's ideas and philosophys. The type of person we can ill afford to lose. Leon Christensen ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 15:48:19 -0500 Reply-To: beeworks@muskoka.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology Comments: Authenticated sender is From: David Eyre Organization: beeworks Subject: Re: Thanks-Nosema MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT On 16 Jan 97 at 9:50, Greg Hunt wrote: Thanks-Nosema > This is just some quick advice in response to Brian Hensel's experience with > re-hiving a colony in abandoned equipment. It sounds like Brian did a good > job in trying to clean up the mites and Nosema, but I would suggest that > people in this situation shoud not requeen. If those bees represent a colony > that survived on its own for years rather than a recent swarm, they may have > some resistance to mites by natural selection. From the description, it > sounded like they had good hygienic behavior which helps bees resist many > brood diseases (like Varroa). Unfortunately, one loses the genetic stock when > requeening. Consider letting the bees raise their own queens, or raise queens > yourself. While I agree with the broad outlines of the above, regretfully Nosema damages the queen. The usual first response of the bees, once healthy, is to superscede the old queen. Depending on mating, some of the original genetics will be lost. Didn't his original post describe how he had managed to save this hive from Varroa? I would venture, (in view of his discription of flightless bees) that this hive has no resistance to either T or V mites, and will need treatment from here on. ********************************************************* The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive Unit 2, Orillia, Ontario, Canada. L3V 6H1 David Eyre, Owner. Phone/Fax 705 326 7171 Agents for E.H.Thorne & B.J.Sherriff UK http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks ********************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 17:17:09 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Beekeepers at Norfolk Subject: Who Are Those Guys Anyhow? Someone asked who is writing from the ABF Convetion, There are many beekeepers here who have internet experience that drop by this booth to say 'hi' and many more who are very interested in finding out what is happening on the net. A number of list regulars are here. Among them are: Neerg Evad Dave Green Neerg Ecinaj Janice Green Kcid Nella Allen Dick Sirrom Noraa Aaron Morris ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 17:58:02 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Beekeepers at Norfolk Subject: ABF Convention from Dave Green Dear Bee Listers, A number of folks from the bee list are here at the convention. I think a partial message was just accidently sent from one of them to the list before it was completed. There may be others that haven't identified themselves yet. I don't think Larry Connor or Paul Van Westendorp were mentioned. There may be more. It is a madhouse at the moment, with an auction going on around us. The meeting is well attended and has been quite intense. The pollination symposium on Thursday was jam-packed with information. I was a contributor in this session, but received a lot, also. Of very good value were Dr. Ambrose's report on cucumber pollination with honeybees and bumblebees, and Dr. Connor's report on evaluating pollination from evidence in the flower and fruit. Some of this info will be working its way into our web page in the next couple weeks. Also a highlight for me was the opportunity to talk with the EPA representative who is the head of the Labeling Unit, which may be writing new pesticide label protection directions for bees. As you may know, there is intense lobbying going on to weaken the label directions or to turn it over to the states. Mosquito vector control people are trying to get their agencies exempt from compliance with the bee direction labels. Our pesticide regular head in South Carolina is among those who is lobbying to make the language more vague, to except wild bees, and mosquito control districts. The push is on to make all protective efforts the responsibility of the beekeeper, rather than making the applicator have the responsibility. It is the applicator that has chosen to use a material with environmental hazards, in this case, to pollinators, and it is logically his responsibility to protect those environmental resources. I cannot run to "protect" bees every time someone sprays. I may have bees in 20 locations on any given day during cotton bloom, that could be exposed to improper applications. If he sprays properly, the bees are not in danger. After the presentation, a few of us representing a range across the country went for coffee with Jim Downing, the EPA rep, and gave a strong perspective that he had not received from the other input. Each of us has had damage over and over again. State agencies do not want to enforce the law. If all protection, including the directions themselves are left to the states, most states will have no protection at all. US members of this list need to write to Jim Downing, 7505 W 401 M. St, SW Washington, DC 20460 (downing.jim@epamail.epa.gov) The current labels, if enforced do give adequate protection, though some states 1.regard them as advisory, rather than specific directions. 2. refuse to recognize they apply to wild bees. The directions are under the head "Environmental Hazards," which clearly indicates the reference to pollinators as an environmental resource, and clearly does not exclude bumblebees, solitary bees and other social bees. 3. do not deal with the residual effect of many pesticides clearly marked as residual, which indicates that they cannot be used on a blossom which is attractive to bees, if they will return during the residual life of the bees. Please ask for strengthening rather than weakening the protection given to bees. One of the silly proposals is to add a directive not to spray on hives. This has no effect on the hives unless the pesticide is a fumigant. Agricultural and mosquito control materials rarely have any fumigant effect. Damage occurs when the bee is at the flower, and recieves a droplet, or brings back contaminate pollen and nectar. This directive makes an unnecessary restriction on applicators. One of the nice things about the conference is the chance to share the wit and wisom of some of our bee list members. Allen Dick is a great guy, and we've spent quite a bit of time together. The only drawback is that I pictured him as young and lean, but he looks more like me. There is a lot of interest, and we probably will pick up a few more list members from the attendees here. There has also been a stream of messages coming in and going out from the internet display. That's all for now. The auctioneer's, chant is spoiling my concentration. Dave Green (temporary e-mail address) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 19:37:30 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jinnah Edun Subject: Addresses Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Does anyone have Mr. Dawson's e-mail address? Jinnah ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 19:39:13 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jinnah Edun Subject: "GRY" words Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Dear Mr. Watson, What are the three words? Abbas ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 19:45:29 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Ian Watson Subject: Re: "GRY" words In-Reply-To: <199701180039.TAA26139@river.netrover.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Fri, 17 Jan 1997, Jinnah Edun wrote: > Dear Mr. Watson, > What are the three words? To all Bee-Liners... Just to clarify things, the 'post' evidently posted by my brother Robert about these words, was a hoax. Somehow they got a message to the list using his email address as the "From" address. We are still trying to figure out how this happened...Anyone out there know how this might have happened? Neither of us are particularily "computer literate". Cheers....Ian @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ Ian Watson @ @ iwatson@freenet.npiec.on.ca @ @ @ @ THREE BEES: @ @ Bach singer ,/// @ @ Bee keeper >8'III}- @ @ Bell ringer ',\\\ @ @ @ @ 5 hives, 2 years in Beekeeping @ @ St. Catharines, Canada @ @ "I BEE, therefore I am" @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 20:39:28 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Albert W Needham Subject: Re: Silver Bullet In respect to Dr Pedro's new mite control method, I seem to recall that some months ago, long before I first saw the Doctor's name pop up on BEE-L, that John Ianuzzi posted a very similiar method. If I recall correctly, John said that he soaked paper towels in the cheapest vegetable oil he could buy, drained the towels and inserted them in between the frames. He said that as the bees tore the paper out, they got good oil coatings on themselves and this helped control the "varroa?" mites. What his specific results were I do not recall. Are you still out there John, and if so can you tell us anything more on how this method worked out for you? Does anyone else recall this posting and if he ever posted anything more on the this method? Al ....................................................................................................... Al Needham--Scituate,MA,USA--awneedham@juno.com "The HoneyBee"--An Educational Program About Honey Bees With A Superb Slide Show-Version 2.0 (c) 1997 Download From: HTTP://www.kuai.se/~beeman . ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 20:49:10 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Marie Thorp Subject: Honeybee Protection Comments: To: downing.jim@epamail.epa.gov MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sorry about that,oh oh and a big oops. John Thorp ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 14:23:18 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Dung Nguyen Subject: email address Does anyone know email address of Dr. L.Connor who is the editor of journal "BeeScience" ? Thank you in advance ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nguyen vanDung Int. Edu. Office. UWS, Hawkesbury Bourke st, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia email : nguyen@hotel.uws.edu.au ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 23:36:28 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Gerry Visel Subject: What a Site! Comments: To: ooo@gray.isir.by Check out http://weblab.research.att.com/phoaks/sci/agriculture/beekeeping/resources1.html (whew!) and linked pages, and you will see links to _every_ beekeeping page on the Web! It'll take a year just to wade through all them links! Thanx muchly to whoever put it together! Gerry and the other Visels at Visel7@juno.com Winnebago, Illinois, USA ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 04:01:15 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Brian Gant <106213.3313@compuserve.com> Subject: chalk brood Chalk brood has been studied quite extensively by Prof Len Heath and a series of PhD students at the University of Plymouth in the UK. He wrote about this in a rather broader context in the magazine BEEKEEPING last November. It is difficult to summarise but some points of interest are: hives in damp areas are not more susceptible; drone brood is not more susceptible; chilling brood is one of a number of physiological stresses which make larvae more susceptible; spores are almost everywhere where there are bees, they are fed to the larvae and may develop in the gut and grow through the body tissues; spores may or may not be formed depending on the conditions, but it is nothing to do with having two types of spores present; apart from the stress factor some bees are genetically more susceptible. I hope these points, based on research results, are of interest. Brian Gant Buckfast, UK Editor of BEEKEEPING ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 09:21:48 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Dick Hill Subject: Re: Plastic frames and foundation Brushy Mountain Bee Farm has a wiring board in their catalog. This may be what you're looking for. A form board is used to install foundation and embiede wires. It can be used for a 3 sizes of frames. Place the frame over the form board and a platform extends p to the middle of the frame, allowing the foundation to be easily nailed in place and the wire embedded. Brushy Mountain Bee Farm, Inc. 610 Bethany Falls, NC 28654 1-800-233-7929 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 10:41:44 -0500 Reply-To: beeworks@muskoka.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology Comments: Authenticated sender is From: David Eyre Organization: beeworks Subject: Re: chalk brood MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT On 18 Jan 97 at 4:01, Brian Gant wrote: chalk brood > spores are almost everywhere where there are bees, they are fed to the > larvae and may develop in the gut and grow through the body tissues; > spores may or may not be formed depending on the conditions, but it is > nothing to do with having two types of spores present; > apart from the stress factor some bees are genetically more susceptible. > I hope these points, based on research results, are of interest. I for one am grateful for this post. Now I understand why it is reccommended to requeen, as this proves it is also genetically based. Thank you. ********************************************************* The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive Unit 2, Orillia, Ontario, Canada. L3V 6H1 David Eyre, Owner. Phone/Fax 705 326 7171 Agents for E.H.Thorne & B.J.Sherriff UK http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks ********************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 11:21:40 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jerry J Bromenshenk Subject: Re: Where's the bullet? In-Reply-To: <199701171726.KAA21930@bernie.compusmart.ab.ca> from "Eric Abell" at Jan 17, 97 10:26:40 am MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >>Essentially his method involves using stips of common waxed paper soaked in mineral oil. > Good ideas need not be 'oustanding'. If it works - great! Would the > technique be more acceptable it if involved some complex electronics? > > Eric Abell A good principal of scientific logic is "Occam's Razor" (named after a 14th century scholar) - of several possible explanations, the one that requires the fewest assumptions is usually the most probable. I wouldn't use complex electronics to control mites (who could afford it), but I might use electronics to better measure the effects of mineral oil on bee foraging. However, the issue here is not so much as to whether the idea is outstanding, but rather is it original. Based on the information provided to date on Bee-L, the oil soaked waxed paper does not appear to be an original idea. Others have used similar approaches and they deserve credit for the idea. Also, as mentioned by others on this list, mineral oil is a chemical that is not normally found in beehives. So this technique relies on a chemical as the control agent, which is not what we were told earlier. For a detailed and critical evaluation of grease patties (a form of oil) and lots of other good information about Tracheal Mite biology, I suggest you go to your library and have inter-library loan ship in a copy of Diana Sammataro's Ph.D. Thesis "Studies on the Control, Behavior, and Molecular Markers of the Tracheal Mite (Acarapis woodi [Rennie] of Honey Bees (Hymenoptera:Apidae), The Ohio State University, 1995. An earlier article by Diana, S. Cobey and others covered controlling tracheal mites with vegetable oil (Journal of Economic Entomology, 87: 910-916, 1994. As I remember, one of the first observations of the effects of oil was made by Gary and Page in 1987! Delaplane (1992) and Calderone and Shimanuki (1995) also showed the useful of oil for controlling mites in the field. I know this, because their research was published. Publication of research serves many purposes, including: 1) Dissemination of information 2) Access for critical review and evaluation (by everyone) 3) Quality Assurance (assessed by peer review). 4) Acknowledgement of original authorship. Although some members of this list have expressed a dislike for peer-reviewed scientific literature (deemed unreadable), peer-reviewed is intended to assess the quality of the research. Prior to publication, reviewers "grade" the paper for originality, significance, appropriate design, and justification of the conclusions. Reviewer designate papers as acceptable for publication with minor changes, acceptable with appropriate revision, questionable merit with publication based on substantial revision. The most difficult decision to make or to receive (as an author) is to reject for reasons given on the Author's Form. The process is not perfect. Poor research sometimes slips through, and truly innovative research sometimes challenges the preconceptions of the reviewers. But the process does provide a filter to weed out junk science. Like a copyright or patent, date of publication establishes authorship. If you come up with a good idea, but don't publish it, the author of the first published study will be credited with the idea. Again, an imperfect system. But it is intended to protect the people who conducted the original work from being displaced by someone who at a later date claims to have originated the idea. Publication in non-peer reviewed magazines or electronic formats can help distribute information to a wider audience. But there is no filter regarding the quality or reliability of the work. You have to make your own determination, and these forms of communication are usually short and skip much of the detail concerning the methods and actual findings. Similarly, presentations at meetings are often so brief that it is impossible to judge the merit of the work. And professional groups vary in how presentations are selected. Some, accept all papers and posters submitted. However, most of the more rigorous societies "invite" you to present after reviewing a written description of the research. Like many of you, I am anxious to see a full description of the Methods and Results of the wax paper/mineral oil control Method. Perhaps it is a rigorous study that meets the criteria of originality, sound experimental design, and clearly significant results. We can surely use more tools for controlling mites. However, I also ask the each person determine the value and uniqueness of the approach based on your own review of the actual study (when it is published). In the meantime, don't forget to provide proper credit to all of the people who started the original investigations of "oil" as a control agent. Jerry Bromenshenk jjbmail@selway.umt.edu ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 20:35:41 +0100 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Hans-Ulrich THOMAS Subject: Re: email address In-Reply-To: <630.nguyen@hotel.uws.edu.au_POPMail/PC_3.2.2> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Does anyone know email address of Dr. L.Connor who is the editor of journal >"BeeScience" ? >Thank you in advance I have listed him with the following e-mail address: - ljconnor@aol.com Good luck Hans ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 14:51:25 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Brian G. Merrill" Subject: Johnson Dovetail machine Comments: To: Steve Pearce Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hello Bee-L Several years ago the bee journals advertised a Johnson Dovetail Machine. When I bought out a retired beekeeper a few years back, I obtained one of these. Apparantly, the company has since gone out of business. If anyone on the list has one of these machines (or parts thereof) and would be willing to part with it, please notify me directly at the e-mail address listed. thanks. Brian Brian G. Merrill bmerrill@ns.moran.com Ellie Bee Apiaries 61 Calumet St. Depew, NY 14043 USA ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 21:44:45 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Tom Allen Subject: Re: January Issue of APIS Please bring me up tyo date on how to seee acopy of Jan Apis or other monthly copy ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 21:44:46 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Tom Allen Subject: Re: Urgent reqquest for info In a message dated 96-11-05 18:17:05 EST, you write: << Apiarist >> I regretI do not have your orignial request but yesterday I noted the usually warning on the Apistan packaging,, "dispose of properly"The fed governemnt requires this message but does not require an explantion of properly. A call to Apistan left them perf\plexed and they relaly didn'thave a good answer.They said wrap in newspaper and throw in trash. What about those who have literally hundreds or thousands or strips. What are the dangers in public or private incineration or burial. What are the long term effects . We should work to get a good answer to this. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 21:44:49 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Tom Allen Subject: Re: open feeding Please define open feeding. I have used bottles , baggies, and trays, but what is open feeding ? ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 20:58:53 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology Comments: Authenticated sender is From: Rebecca Spawn Organization: BlueStem, Inc. Subject: New Beekeeper - post #2 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Thank you, those of you who responded to my questions about beginning beekeeping. I now have plenty of info to get me started, and I'm eager to begin! Several of you suggested I send another post explaining where I live, & ask if there are any beekeepers nearby who could give me information for my area. I live in Bismarck, North Dakota, which is in the center of the state and south, aprox an hour from the South Dakota border. Comments like, "The temperature today will reach a high of 10 below.." are common. The fact that bees can survive these harsh winters is incredible to me! I thought I would have to take them inside for the winter, until I read some recent posts about hives buried in snow and doing just fine. Amazing! I was wondering, where do people living in town keep their hives? I hope to move somewhere outside of town, however currently I live within city limits and doubt my neighbors would appreciate it if I put hives in my backyard. I assume I need to find someone with land and ask permission to put my hives on it. Problem is, I just moved to this state a few months ago & don't know many people yet. Is anyone out there from this area? Thank you again for your help! --Rebecca ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rebecca Spawn, Aquatic Ecologist BlueStem, Inc., 1501 N. 12th Street, Bismarck, ND 58501 Work Phone: 701-223-1844 Home Phone: 701-223-3846 Fax#: 701-223-4645 Internet: rlspawn@tic.bisman.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 23:05:00 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Stan Sandler Subject: Fumagillan resistance? Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >One suggestion would be to find out if you have Nosema. >1) Grasp an adult bee by the head and by the tip of abdomen and pull. With >a little prcatice the entire gut will be exposed. Look at the middle >part, A normal bee's midgut will be darkened and "ringed", it will have >circilar constictions along it's surface. An infected gut will be >bloated, whitish, and the constrictions will not be as clearly visible. Many thanks to John Skinner for the above technique! Nosema is one of most difficult of bee diseases to diagnose, in my opinion, if it is not at a severe stage, because there is no brood affected and the adult bees generally die out of the hive, weather permitting. Because of this I think most beekeepers, where winters are extreme, just treat all the colonies as a matter of course. Since fumagillan has been used for a long time now, and considering the recent discussion on this list about antibiotic resistance, I have a few queries: Has there ever been any fumagillan resistance noticed? Is there any alternative treatment if resistance does develop? What biological control alternatives are available? (I was under the impression that the bees would recover on their own, but with a reduction in strength and therefore yield that season. I could be quite wrong, and I do not know if untreated hives are more likely to harbour "spores" that will reinfect them in winter conditions. Nosema is a "sporozoan" ??, so I assume it has spores? :) What is the situation in Sweden and New Zealand, where other antibiotics are banned? Is fumagillan banned as well? Regards, Stan 45 degrees N ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 06:19:04 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Janet Montgomery & Dan Veilleux Subject: Re: New Beekeeper - post #2 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" reply When you look for a hive location keep in mind the incessent ND winter wind,accessability in muddy spring conditions,and drifting winter snows. It is a good time to study the prevailing winter winds and their effects around sheltebelts, farm structures which can accelerate wind. One of the best places to look is a small wood lot or thick shelterbelt that has enough depth to break the wind with out dumping all the snow on the hives.. A snow fence or permeable tree line will slow the wind causing snow to be deposited 2 1/2 times the structures height downwind (assuming 40%) Wind resistance. I'm sure some of our Canadian -Alberta- or Montana keepers can give you some pointers on Prairie beekeeping. You may also try your local county extension office and State bee inspector ( probably located in the Dept of Agriculture in Biamark) to see what information and help is available in ND GOOD LUCK DAN VEILLEUX COLUMBUS OHIO, USA At 08:58 PM 1/18/97 -0600, you wrote: >Thank you, those of you who responded to my questions about >beginning beekeeping. I now have plenty of info to get me started, >and I'm eager to begin! > Several of you suggested I send another post explaining where I >live, & ask if there are any beekeepers nearby who could give me >information for my area. I live in Bismarck, North Dakota, which is >in the center of the state and south, aprox an hour from the South >Dakota border. Comments like, "The temperature today will reach >a high of 10 below.." are common. The fact that bees can survive >these harsh winters is incredible to me! I thought I would have to >take them inside for the winter, until I read some recent posts about >hives buried in snow and doing just fine. Amazing! > I was wondering, where do people living in town keep their hives? >I hope to move somewhere outside of town, however currently I live >within city limits and doubt my neighbors would appreciate it if I >put hives in my backyard. I assume I need to find someone with land >and ask permission to put my hives on it. Problem is, I just moved >to this state a few months ago & don't know many people yet. >Is anyone out there from this area? Thank you again for your help! >--Rebecca > > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >Rebecca Spawn, Aquatic Ecologist >BlueStem, Inc., 1501 N. 12th Street, Bismarck, ND 58501 >Work Phone: 701-223-1844 Home Phone: 701-223-3846 >Fax#: 701-223-4645 Internet: rlspawn@tic.bisman.com >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > Janet Montgomery 104 Fallis Road Columbus, Ohio 43214-3724 Home: (614) 784-8334 FAX: (614) 268-3107 E-mail: MONTVEIL@IWAYNET.NET ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 10:36:07 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Gerry Visel Subject: Re: New Beekeeper - post #2 Rebecca, Don't give up on keeping bees in town. My brother kept 2 - 3 hives in his back yard in Urbana, IL, by putting them up against the garage wall, and having wooden fences that made the bees go up before travelling horizontal. There _may_ be bee ordinances there, and they may allow or control it some. For example, they probably do _not_ want you to plant dandelions for the bees to build up on in the spring! ;-) The other "must-have" is an unending water source close by (when they are flying, above (positive!) 45 degrees.) This will keep them out of neighbors' swimming pools and bird baths. Once they find a source, they generally stay with it, so keep it wet. The county extension agent is a good local source. And get books and read, read, read! Nothing beats having someone local to show you the ropes, and demonstrate things hands-on. If you find other locals, also try to find a club that meets frequently, as each beekeeper has his own unique approaches. (Put five beekeepers in a room, and you get six opinions!) Good luck! Gerry and the other Visels at Visel7@juno.com Winnebago, Illinois, USA On Sat, 18 Jan 1997 20:58:53 -0600 Rebecca Spawn writes: > > I was wondering, where do people living in town keep their hives? >I hope to move somewhere outside of town, however currently I live >within city limits and doubt my neighbors would appreciate it if I >put hives in my backyard. I assume I need to find someone with land >and ask permission to put my hives on it. > >--Rebecca ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 12:46:47 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Roy Nettlebeck Subject: Re: Two Queen Colony In-Reply-To: <199701171503.AA12539@access.mbnet.mb.ca> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Fri, 17 Jan 1997, Tom Jillette wrote: > Greetings to everyone. > I'm interested in running a few colonies this coming season with two queens > and would like to hear any comments from those who have tried this method. > It sounds to me like a reasonable way to split an overwintered colony and > build the two halves up together, working on the same honey supers as one > big hive and then separating them later to put away for winter. (The Hive > and Honey Bee suggests combining them again with the younger queen for > winter, which I can see would give a very strong colony with young queen for > overwintering). I can see with this method, there would be more work > involved in hive checks and honey removal as well. > > Any tips, comments or experiences with this method? > > Thanks in advance. > Hi Tom, I have had 2 queen hives a number of times over the years. What I have found for myself is a lot of extra work , but a hive that will winter well and have a lot of pollen.The two queen system was used to produce a lot of brood = very strong hive for honey production. If you have a GOOD young queen and give her the room to lay , you will have a strong productive hive. I have had some very prolific queens that would keep me rotating 3 deep brood boxs. We did 360 pounds surplus with one queen. The average in the area was about 100 pounds. When you are running a few hives, it is easy to watch the queens handy work.Think Quality Queen.We have a few problems that can cause the evaluation of a queen rather difficult.If you have a queen from good disease resistant stock and not inbred too much,you should have a strong hive that can produce a good surplus for you. You should try a 2 queen system , just for your own knowledge. The problem that you will have is congestion and with that comes swarming.Keep your eyes open and you can see the differance between the new and old queens laying patterns. You can learn for yourself, what a lot of people stress on this list. Good Queens. By the way, just because a queen and bees do well down south will not mean that they will work well up north. Good Luck Best Regards Roy ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 14:49:25 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Eric Abell Subject: Re: open feeding Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 09:44 PM 18/01/97 -0500, you wrote: >Please define open feeding. > I have used bottles , baggies, and trays, but what is open feeding ? > It is common in this area to fill 45 gal drums with syrup, spread straw over the top and allow the bees to forage in the drums. This method has a downside: - you feed not only your bees but your neighbors as well - some claim this can spread disease - the bees cannot forage if they cannot fly - strong colonies get the most syrup But it has an upside as well: - one can get out a lot of feed in a very short time - bees can continue to forage after they have been wrapped for winter - the equipment cost is minimal Eric Eric Abell Gibbons, Alberta Canada (403) 998 3143 eabell@compusmart.ab.ca ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 19:14:21 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Stan Sandler Subject: Re: open feeding Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hi Eric and All: Do you think open feeding encourages robbing, or keeps the foraging bees busy and so discourages it? Regards, Stan ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 17:32:54 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Eric Abell Subject: Re: open feeding Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 07:14 PM 19/01/97 -0400, you wrote: >Hi Eric and All: > >Do you think open feeding encourages robbing, or keeps the foraging bees >busy and so discourages it? > >Regards, Stan> Hello Stan, I don't think it encourages robbing. Is it really any different than a honey flow? I have rarely seen colonies robbing others unless the colony being robbed is extremely poor. In this case, perhaps the bees are doing me a favour. Eric Eric Abell Gibbons, Alberta Canada (403) 998 3143 eabell@compusmart.ab.ca ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 23:36:52 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Brian Tassey Subject: Re: open feeding & requeening pallets Stan, I believe that open feeding is the safest way to feed if you are concerned about starting robbing. Keep the barrels a decent distance away so that the bees must fly to it, not within the yard. I agree with Eric. Dean, If you're still out there could you comment on requeening hives that are on pallets using cells during the fall honeyflow. I remember you mentioning that you requeened this way with a success rate of about 75-80%. I don't know if you're on pallets or not but I was thinking about giving this method a test this fall. I'm wondering if there is going to be a high % queen loss just due to drifting, coming back from mating flights because of the pallets. Any thoughts, anyone? Brian Tassey Alta Apiaries Merced, CA ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 16:17:02 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Dung Nguyen Subject: Thank you Hello, Thank very much all of you who have informed me the email address of Dr. L. Connor. Best regards, Nguyen vanDung ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 16:43:31 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adrian Wenner Subject: Re: New BeeKeeper Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Rebecca Spawn wrote: >Greetings! I subscribed to Bee-L about a month ago because I >wanted to learn more about keeping bees. I want you all to know, I >thoroughly enjoy this list and have no plans of unsubscribing! :-} >I've gathered a tremendous amount of information in a very short >amount of time. >I've wanted to keep bees for many years and have decided it's time to >do it. Could someone please send me some basic information on how to >get started? Where do I get the bees and all the equipment? What >time of year is best to begin? You have already received some good information. However, I usually recomment the following book as a start, available from most bookstores: Hubbell, Sue. 1988. A BOOK OF BEES. Ballantine Books, NY (paper): ISBN: 0-345-34261-5 That book gives you a real feel for the excitement of beekeeping. Besides that advice, you should really serve as a volunteer apprentice with a really qualified beekeeper --- one who has to make a living or at least a good profit. Some amateurs, by contrast, do not have the efficiency and touch that makes for enjoyable beekeeping. Here's hoping you weather the fierce winter! (I grew up in Roseau, MN, just south of Winnipeg and know what you experience down there in the "banana belt" of the upper Midwest.) Adrian Adrian M. Wenner (805) 893-2838 (UCSB office) Ecol., Evol., & Marine Biology (805) 893-8062 (UCSB FAX) Univ. of Calif., Santa Barbara (805) 963-8508 (home office & FAX) Santa Barbara, CA 93106 ************************************************************************* * "The difference between real and unreal things is that unreal things * * usually last much longer." Pot-Shots #6728 * * Copyright, Ashleigh Brilliant --- used with permission * ************************************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 21:46:48 -0800 Reply-To: "bjhensel@metro.net"@metro.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: BRIAN HENSEL <"bjhensel@metro.net"@metro.net> Subject: Re: Thanks-Nosema MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit David Eyre wrote: > > On 16 Jan 97 at 9:50, Greg Hunt wrote: Thanks-Nosema > > > This is just some quick advice in response to Brian Hensel's experience with > > re-hiving a colony in abandoned equipment. It sounds like Brian did a good > > job in trying to clean up the mites and Nosema, but I would suggest that > > people in this situation shoud not requeen. If those bees represent a colony > > that survived on its own for years rather than a recent swarm, they may have > > some resistance to mites by natural selection. From the description, it > > sounded like they had good hygienic behavior which helps bees resist many > > brood diseases (like Varroa). Unfortunately, one loses the genetic stock when > > requeening. Consider letting the bees raise their own queens, or raise queens > > yourself. > > While I agree with the broad outlines of the above, regretfully Nosema > damages the queen. The usual first response of the bees, once healthy, is > to superscede the old queen. Depending on mating, some of the original > genetics will be lost. > Didn't his original post describe how he had managed to save this hive > from Varroa? I would venture, (in view of his discription of flightless > bees) that this hive has no resistance to either T or V mites, and will > need treatment from here on. HI DAVID AND GREG, AND BEELINERS!!! Believe me when I say that I thought long and hard, before replacing the queen, but when I kept a very close eye on this hive, the original queen was not laying any new eggs. I saw the entire brood emerge and die off one by one. The worker bee's were so busy trying to keep up with all the dead and sick brood they weren't out foraging for nectar or pollen. It wasn't a case of the approaching fall weather that she shut down, I think that she was sick. This hive was probably a swarm from a nearby beekeepers hive, because there are no other feral hives in the area. If this hive was resistant to varroa than they would have been able to survive better than they were. I feel that if I didn't take the steps that I took then, they would have perished. I wanted to just leave them alone,at first, but when I brought it to the attention of some local beekeepers, they wanted me to move them into a good hive and treat them, because they were afraid this hive would infect their hives. They all lost many of their hives to varroa, and were just starting to build up their colonies, and didn't want another outbreak, and I certainly can understand now that they are totally free of varroa. I am happy to say that I have not seen anymore sick bee's crawling out of the hive, since I placed a baggy feeder in the hive treated with fumidil-b. The bee's have filled all their empty comb with this syrup, and really look good. I saw solid brood, all healthy, and there isn't any sign of dysentery within the hive, but I need to get rid of the old dark comb as soon as I can this summer. The queen is of the Buckfast variety from Weavers in Texas. After she got settled in last October, she started laying eggs like mad, even though winter was approaching. In just three months she has brought this hive back from extinction, and did it in the middle of winter! I chose Buckfast because of their resistance to varroa, their gentleness, and from all of the things I have read about BROTHER ADAM, and all the postings here on BEE-L. I hope that Dr. Pedro Rodriguez has the answer to the varroa problem as simplistic as it seems, it will need to be tested through out the world. If it is successful, which I am hoping it will be, then we will owe him much gratitude. THANKS AGAIN, for all the wonderful suggestions, I have allot of information on Nosema, how to detect it, and how to treat it. My daughter has a Microscope, and this weekend we are going to see if we can spot the Nosema spores, because of a suggestion from Mr. John Skinner. Thanks John! BRIAN HENSEL bjhensel@metro.net ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 15:26:02 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adrian Wenner Subject: Re: New Beekeeper - post #2 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Rebecca Spawn wrote: > I was wondering, where do people living in town keep their hives? >I hope to move somewhere outside of town, however currently I live >within city limits and doubt my neighbors would appreciate it if I >put hives in my backyard. Now that varroa mites have killed most feral colonies in the U.S., backyard gardeners in urban areas often find they have no fruit set. By contacting your neighbors and pointing out the benefits of having a bee colony nearby, you might just find that they would welcome the chance to get a fruit crop again. Be sure, as someone else posted, that you have some screening to force the bees to fly up before they leave the yard. Adrian Adrian M. Wenner (805) 893-2838 (UCSB office) Ecol., Evol., & Marine Biology (805) 893-8062 (UCSB FAX) Univ. of Calif., Santa Barbara (805) 963-8508 (home office & FAX) Santa Barbara, CA 93106 ************************************************************************* * "The difference between real and unreal things is that unreal things * * usually last much longer." Pot-Shots #6728 * * Copyright, Ashleigh Brilliant --- used with permission * ************************************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 15:26:10 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adrian Wenner Subject: Re: Hive outbreak from stings Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I would appreciate some input on this problem. A friend of mine, new to beekeeping, has experienced quite a bit of itching when stung. The last time, though, she could not remove the sting quickly and broke out in hives in parts of the body removed from the sting site. Justin Schmidt's treatment of allergic reactions to stings in THE HIVE AND THE HONEY BEE indicated that such a reaction is not life-threatening. On the other hand, losing sleep all night can be quite disconcerting. My question: Have any of you had such an experience? If so, did your body chemistry adapt and allow you to continue to receive stings without adverse effect? Please reply to me directly unless you feel your reply would interest many of those on the NET. Thank you in advance. Adrian Adrian M. Wenner (805) 893-2838 (UCSB office) Ecol., Evol., & Marine Biology (805) 893-8062 (UCSB FAX) Univ. of Calif., Santa Barbara (805) 963-8508 (home office & FAX) Santa Barbara, CA 93106 ************************************************************************* * "The difference between real and unreal things is that unreal things * * usually last much longer." Pot-Shots #6728 * * Copyright, Ashleigh Brilliant --- used with permission * ************************************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 19:11:17 EST Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: David Fulton <73772.1202@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Bee diseases and population General posting: We have noticed people talking about a "bug" of some kind that attacked a large portion of the bee population during 1996 either in the U.S. or Europe. Can anyone out there confirm this rumor?? Does anyone have any more facts along these lines? Please e-mail us back with anything useful. Thank you, D. W. Fulton p.s. Our e-mail address is: "73772,1202@compuserve.com" ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 19:53:31 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Tim Rust Organization: Rust Hollar Bed & Breakfast Subject: Re: Johnson Dovetail machine MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Brian, You might want to post this question to the Woodworking Listserver. Someone on that list might know or have what you need. L-soft list server at Indiana Purdue Ft Wayne: Listserv@vmb.ipfw.indiana.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 06:52:49 GMT Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Sid Pullinger Subject: Top Feeders Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Re Eric Abell's recent letter on styrofoam top feeders. May I respectfully ask why bother with styrofoam with its problems of lightness and being chewed by the bees. Why not in wood? I have one of these feeders well over twenty years old, home made in cedar and still serviceable. This type of feeder has a long history and is described in detail in Root's A B C of Bee Culture, 1907. It was devised or invented by Doctor C C Miller, of Illinois, who started his beekeeping in 1861. Mr H R Boardman, of Ohio, introduced his feeder a hundred years ago and it is still with us. As I have remarked before, there is very little new in beekeeping. As regards feeders in general, I think it is a matter of choice, fitting the feeder to the situation. A Miller feeder is ideal in the autumn, when feeding heavily for winter stores. The bees are active and will come up eagerly and empty it quickly. Two fillings, with no disturbance to the bees, are usually sufficient. If one has a stock low in stores in the spring due to a prolonged winter then a Miller feeder may not be suitable. The temperature is low, the bees are reluctant to leave the cluster and the syrup will be cold. In this case a gravity feeder (an inverted can with holes in the lid) placed directly over the cluster and filled with warm syrup, would be better. It will need an empty crate to contain it. Stimulative feeding in the early spring when a stock has ample stores is an entirely different situation. Beekeepers here still argue about it. Does it work or doesn't it? Is it worth the trouble and so on? Personally I think there is a case for it in my situation. Weather permitting, May is the best month for nectar collection so I need the queens laying heavily in March and early April, when the temperatures may be low, the weather wet and littlle chance of the bees flying. Weak syrup supplies their need for water and is a carrier for Fumidil. This syrup is not intended to be stored and is offered in small honey jars, replenished when empty. The Miller feeder came to England and is much used here, as are gravity and frame feeders. I have no experience of the Boardman as it has never caught on in my part of the world. It is offered for sale by one appliance firm. Would some kind person or persons tell me what are its advantages and disadvantages. If money is a consideration for a hobbyist beekeeper then second-hand gravity containers of glass or metal , in a suitable size, costing nothing, can fit any situation and Millers and Boardmans can be considered a luxury. Regards to all. Sid P. _________________________________________________________________ Sid Pullinger Email : sidpul@aladdin.co.uk 36, Grange Rd Compuserve: 100343.1216@compuserve.com Alresford Hants SO24 9HF England ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 09:37:36 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Garrett Dodds Subject: Re: Two Queen Colony Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Greetings to everyone. >I'm interested in running a few colonies this coming season with two queens >and would like to hear any comments from those who have tried this method. >It sounds to me like a reasonable way to split an over wintered colony and >build the two halves up together, working on the same honey supers as one >big hive and then separating them later to put away for winter. (The Hive >and Honey Bee suggests combining them again with the younger queen for >winter, which I can see would give a very strong colony with young queen for >over wintering). I can see with this method, there would be more work >involved in hive checks and honey removal as well. > >Any tips, comments or experiences with this method? > >Thanks in advance. > >Tom >(...going into my third year beekeeping) Hi Tom, I have been running my hives on the two-queen system for a number of years now and I would never switch back to a single queen colony for honey production. I live in Ohio and split my hives around the 1st of May. Putting the split with a new queen on top of the parent hive. These two build up together with the parent colony looking like a regular single queen colony and the split building up to a deep and a medium by the honey flow (mid June), both overflowing with bees. When the honey flow starts I go around and combine the two units (or take a split out of the parent hive to replace winter loses or to increase). I arrange the brood boxes so that the young brood is on the bottom and the sealed brood is on the top of the brood nest, with any supers put on top of the brood nest. After that I just add and add supers until I run out of supers or it's time to pull the honey. I rarely ever look at these hives after I combine them, maybe one or two per yard to get an idea of what's going on. These hives produce an average of 5 to 6 medium supers (to be conservative, the range is 4 to 10+). I have never seen one of these hives swarm, they just produce pound after pound of honey. By fall they are the size of a really strong single queen hive, with more honey stored for winter and normally twice the amount of pollen stored. They are over wintered in 3 deep hive bodies. And come out of the winter with huge populations, ready to be split when you can get the queens. A side note. I do use Instrumental Insemination to control my breeding stock. So, I may be selecting bees that do better with the two queen system. Garrett ***************** Garrett Dodds Custom Inseminations 29480 January Rd. West Mansfield, OH 43358 (937) 355-0290 e-mail dodds.12@osu.edu *********************** * Garrett Dodds * * 29480 January Road * * West Mansfield, OH 43358 * * (937) 355-0290 * * e-mail dodds.12@osu.edu * *--------------------------* * Custom Inseminations * ******************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 09:18:54 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jerry J Bromenshenk Subject: Re: open feeding & requeening pallets In-Reply-To: <970119233652_538406365@emout18.mail.aol.com> from "Brian Tassey" at Jan 19, 97 11:36:52 pm MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi: Open feeding is an open invitation to any other bees in the neighborhood (feral, your neighbors, etc.). As such the potential for spread of disease and mites is high. Jerry Bromenshenk jjbmail@selway.umt.edu ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 11:20:22 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Vince Coppola Organization: Coppola Apiaries Subject: Re: Where's the bullet? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Jerry J Bromenshenk wrote: > However, the issue here is not so much as to whether the idea is > outstanding, but rather is it original. Based on the information provided > to date on Bee-L, the oil soaked waxed paper does not appear to be an > original idea. Others have used similar approaches and they deserve > credit for the idea. While oil soaked whatevers have been used to control tracheal mites, I am not aware of anyone who has successfuly controled varroa this way. Also, the oils used have always been non-mineral types. I think our question at this point should be if mineral oilis safe to use inside a colony and if these results can be duplicated. ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 11:28:04 -0500 Reply-To: beeworks@muskoka.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology Comments: Authenticated sender is From: David Eyre Organization: beeworks Subject: Re: Fumagillan resistance? Comments: To: Stan Sandler MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT On 18 Jan 97 at 23:05, Stan Sandler wrote: Fumagillan resistance? > What biological control alternatives are available? (I was under the > impression that the bees would recover on their own, but with a reduction in > strength and therefore yield that season. I could be quite wrong, and I do > not know if untreated hives are more likely to harbour "spores" that will > reinfect them in winter conditions. Nosema is a "sporozoan" ??, so I assume > it has spores? :) The point that always suprises me whenever Nosema is discussed, is the lack of awareness that the hive should be fumigated using Acetic Acid. Without that fumigation the spores just go round and round. The usual pratice when a hive dies of nosema, is the put the boxes etc back into service and allow the bees to clean up the mess. The best way is to pile the boxes up, seal all edges with tape and place a dish of 80% Acetic Acid in the bottom for a few days, and stop the merry-go-round. ********************************************************* The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive Unit 2, Orillia, Ontario, Canada. L3V 6H1 David Eyre, Owner. Phone/Fax 705 326 7171 Agents for E.H.Thorne & B.J.Sherriff UK http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks ********************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 11:28:04 -0500 Reply-To: beeworks@muskoka.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology Comments: Authenticated sender is From: David Eyre Organization: beeworks Subject: Re: open feeding & requeening pallets MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT On 19 Jan 97 at 23:36, Brian Tassey wrote: Re: open feeding & requeening palle > Dean, > > If you're still out there could you comment on requeening hives that are on > pallets using cells during the fall honeyflow. I remember you mentioning > that you requeened this way with a success rate of about 75-80%. I don't > know if you're on pallets or not but I was thinking about giving this method > a test this fall. I'm wondering if there is going to be a high % queen loss > just due to drifting, coming back from mating flights because of the pallets. > Any thoughts, anyone? If Dean is not around (haven't heard from him for some time) I can help with this one. I re-queen production hives by adding cells. Our hives are not on pallets but it does work for us. I would suggest marking the hives in some way to differentiate between them. A spray can and circles or crosses on the fronts would suffice. We use cell protectors (that's vital) and place the cell as far down as possible, below a queen excluder, obviously, the virgin emerges and subject to good mating will take over the main hive. If the queen to be replaced is marked then you can find out if it was succesful, if not you have no way of knowing until the hive is in decline. Don't try this without cell protectors, as the bees will more often than not just break the cell down. If the hive is ready to superscede ie an old queen, then you might get away without a cell protector. To be honest the present price of cell protectors it's not worth trying to save the cost!! ********************************************************* The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive Unit 2, Orillia, Ontario, Canada. L3V 6H1 David Eyre, Owner. Phone/Fax 705 326 7171 Agents for E.H.Thorne & B.J.Sherriff UK http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks ********************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 17:30:24 +0100 Reply-To: beeman@kuai.se Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: P-O Gustafsson Subject: Re: requeening pallets MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Brian Tassey wrote: > > If you're still out there could you comment on requeening hives that are on > pallets using cells during the fall honeyflow. I remember you mentioning > that you requeened this way with a success rate of about 75-80%. I don't > know if you're on pallets or not but I was thinking about giving this method > a test this fall. I'm wondering if there is going to be a high % queen loss > just due to drifting, coming back from mating flights because of the pallets. > Any thoughts, anyone? > Hi Brian, I have used this system for requeening a number of years and have got similar results. The hives are on pallets, two on each pallet with about 200 mm space between them. Entrances facing same direction. I don't belive there is any difference when using pallets, if all other factors are equal. More important is the layout of the hives/pallets in the apiary. Not in a straight line. Trees, scrubs, stones etc for the queen to aim at when she returns from her flight. -- Regards P-O Gustafsson, Sweden beeman@kuai.se http://www.kuai.se/~beeman/ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 17:30:53 +0100 Reply-To: beeman@kuai.se Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: P-O Gustafsson Subject: Fumagillin-nosema MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit I have forwarded the discussion about nosema to Ingemar Fries at the Department of Entomology, when he has been working on the subject and is able to give a view of the situation here in Sweden. Here comes his answer; There are no specific clinical symptoms connected with N. apis. infections. Heavy infections are often correlated with dysentery but the reason for this is not that nosema infections cause dysentery, but rather that when dysentery occurs, the disease is aggravated and effectively spread in the honey bee colony. To diagnose N. apis infections microscopical examination of crushed bees, the ventricular content, or the fecal matters is the most simple way. The often referred to technique to visually inspect the midgut may sometimes be deceptive. The midgut may look abnormal without having N. apis infections and it is only severe infections that can be detected this way. A visual test has been described that can detect heavy infections, but it requires special test tubes, staining, and over night storage of the material. Thus, examination in the microscope remains the best way to determine if nosema disease is a problem in the apairy. A composite sample of bees can be used for each colony to be examined. And for practical purposes it seems to be sufficient to divide the infection level into a few broad classes where only the severe infections will prove detrimental to colony development and honey yield. >Has there ever been any fumagillan resistance noticed? There has been one attempt to monitor if fumagillin resistance can be provoked in N. apis (Gross, K P; Ruttner, F (1970) Entwickelt Nosema apis Zander eine Resistenz gegen|ber dem Antibiotikum Fumidil B? Apidologie 1: 401-422.). No increased tolerance to fumagillin in the parasite has been seen after long term exposure. The fact that the product now has been in use for several decades without loss of effect also indicates that the parasite is very slow or unable to develop resistance to this drug. >Is there any alternative treatment if resistance does develop? > >What biological control alternatives are available? (I was under the >impression that the bees would recover on their own, but with a reduction in >strength and therefore yield that season. I could be quite wrong, and I do >not know if untreated hives are more likely to harbour "spores" that will >reinfect them in winter conditions. Nosema is a "sporozoan" ??, so I assume >it has spores? :) The spores of the parasite is transmitted on soiled comb and picked up by new bees as the combs are cleaned. The spores remain viable on the combs in fecal deposits long enough to be transmitted between seasons. A good way of decreasing the probability to maintain supplies of infective spores in the colonies is to ensure that the bees are not wintered on combs where bees have been kept over winter before (the risk of fecal deposits is larger on such combs). And if such combs are used, the practice to decontaminate the combs with acetic acid or heat treatment is recommended. If nosema disease is a problem, we also have good results with the Norwegian practice to winter the bees on comb foundation. This lowers the probability of detectable disease the following spring. <--My explanation--Norwegian beekeepers shake bees into a box with only foundation and give them sugar syrup that makes them draw out the foundation and fill it with feed in clean combs.--> >What is the situation in Sweden and New Zealand, where other antibiotics are >banned? Is fumagillan banned as well? Fumagillin is not allowed in Sweden, nor is any other antibiotic for use in bee hives. In our experience, even in a climate with long winters it is possible to maintain healthy colonies without the use of drugs provided that good apiary hygene is practiced. This includes frequent wax renewal and feeding devices for winter feeding where the bees can not deposit any feces. Regards, Ingemar 59 degrees N ************************************************************************** Department of Entomology E-mail: Ingemar.Fries@entom.slu.se Swedish Univ. Agric. Sci. Tel: Int+ 46 18 67 20 73 Box 7044 Fax: Int+ 46 18 67 28 90 S-750 07 Uppsala Sweden ************************************************************************** -- Regards P-O Gustafsson, Sweden beeman@kuai.se http://www.kuai.se/~beeman/ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 07:10:58 -1000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Bob St. John" Subject: Re: Hive outbreak from stings In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Sun, 19 Jan 1997, Adrian Wenner wrote: > I would appreciate some input on this problem. A friend of mine, new to >beekeeping, has experienced quite a bit of itching when stung. The last >time, though, she could not remove the sting quickly and broke out in hives >in parts of the body removed from the sting site. > > Justin Schmidt's treatment of allergic reactions to stings in THE HIVE >AND THE HONEY BEE indicated that such a reaction is not life-threatening. >On the other hand, losing sleep all night can be quite disconcerting. > > My question: Have any of you had such an experience? If so, did your >body chemistry adapt and allow you to continue to receive stings without >adverse effect? > Adrian: My first wife developed rashes and itching and soon after that it developed into life-threatening allergy. I would suggest tht your friend check with an allergist right away. I know a lot of women involved with bees develope allergic reactions (especially after having a few children). I suspect that if your friend gets stung enough she will get over those reactions. My mother swelled up terribly when she first began with bees but after a while she had no reaction and worked full time in the queen raising. I have known sevral full time beekeepers who were allergic. I once met a father and son from Nevada who were both allergic. They simply proteced themselves from stings at all times. Aloha Bob ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 12:49:05 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Ian Watson Subject: Re: New BeeKeeper In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Fri, 17 Jan 1997, Adrian Wenner wrote: > You have already received some good information. However, I usually > recomment the following book as a start, available from most bookstores: > > Hubbell, Sue. 1988. A BOOK OF BEES. Ballantine Books, NY (paper): ISBN: > 0-345-34261-5 I agree! A wonderfull book. I have read it twice in two years of beekeeping. That's the kind of book it is. It's not a textbook like The Hive and the Honey Bee. It's more like a journal. She writes well. Her facination and enthusiasm are contagious. Well, I'm off to the library to borrow it again.....;) @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @ Ian Watson @ @ iwatson@freenet.npiec.on.ca @ @ @ @ THREE BEES: @ @ Bach singer ,/// @ @ Bee keeper >8'III}- @ @ Bell ringer ',\\\ @ @ @ @ 5 hives, 2 years in Beekeeping @ @ St. Catharines, Canada @ @ "I BEE, therefore I am" @ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 16:17:08 +0000 Reply-To: tvf@umich.edu Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "Theodore V. Fischer" Organization: The University of Michigan Subject: Re: Two Queen Colony MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Garrett Dodds wrote: > I split my hives around the 1st of May. > Putting the split with a new queen on top of the parent hive. These two > build up together with the parent colony looking like a regular single > queen colony and the split building up to a deep and a medium by the honey > flow (mid June), both overflowing with bees. When the honey flow starts I > go around and combine the two units (or take a split out of the parent hive > to replace winter loses or to increase). I arrange the brood boxes so that > the young brood is on the bottom and the sealed brood is on the top of the > brood nest, with any supers put on top of the brood nest. After that I > just add and add supers until I run out of supers or it's time to pull the > honey. I rarely ever look at these hives after I combine them, maybe one > or two per yard to get an idea of what's going on. These hives produce an > average of 5 to 6 medium supers (to be conservative, the range is 4 to > 10+). I have never seen one of these hives swarm, they just produce pound > after pound of honey. By fall they are the size of a really strong single > queen hive, with more honey stored for winter and normally twice the amount > of pollen stored. They are over wintered in 3 deep hive bodies. And come > out of the winter with huge populations, ready to be split when you can get > the queens. I do exactly the same as Garrett, and with the same results as far as honey production. I would say, though, that I have had an occasional swarm, so it is not the perfect panacea for that problem. If a swarm emerges, it is *enormous*, and I just can only hope that I will be aware of it and can hive it in time. That is quite an experience! Ted Fischer Dexter, Michigan USA ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 12:04:49 -0700 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Adrian Wenner Subject: Re: Bee diseases and population Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" David Fulton asked: We have noticed people talking about a "bug" of some kind that attacked a large portion of the bee population during 1996 either in the U.S. or Europe. Can anyone out there confirm this rumor?? Does anyone have any more facts along these lines? They might be referring to the spread of tracheal and varroa mites. For the latter, consult the following article: 1996 Wenner, A.M. and W.W. Bushing. Varroa mite spread in the United States. BEE CULTURE. 124:341-343. Adrian Adrian M. Wenner (805) 893-2838 (UCSB office) Ecol., Evol., & Marine Biology (805) 893-8062 (UCSB FAX) Univ. of Calif., Santa Barbara (805) 963-8508 (home office & FAX) Santa Barbara, CA 93106 *********************************************************************** * "THIS LIFE may be the only chance you'll ever get to show what * * you can do." Pot-Shots #6923 * * Copyright, Ashleigh Brilliant --- used with permission * *********************************************************************** ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 15:38:32 -0500 Reply-To: beeworks@muskoka.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology Comments: Authenticated sender is From: David Eyre Organization: beeworks Subject: Re: Top Feeders MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT On 20 Jan 97 at 6:52, Sid Pullinger wrote: Top Feeders > The Miller feeder came to England and is much used here, as are gravity and > frame feeders. I have no experience of the Boardman as it has never caught > on in my part of the world. It is offered for sale by one appliance firm. > Would some kind person or persons tell me what are its advantages and > disadvantages. If money is a consideration for a hobbyist beekeeper then We find that Boardman feeders can be useful. For those who don't know, the Boardman feeder fits in the front entrance, normally an inverted jar with a screw cap, resting in a special cradle with an entrance hole only accesible from inside the hive, to prevent robbing. When we close the top entrance (early spring) sometimes the bees refuse to take syrup on top of the inner cover. The Boardman does a good job of simulating a honey flow, as it's coming in through the front door. If essential oil becomes an accepted method of Varroa treatment, then Amrine suggests a Boardman feeder as the best way of introducing oils into the food chain. The only disadvantage I can think of, if the weather warms, there is a tendency for the liquid in a Boardman feeder to be forced out by the expansion of the inside air. ********************************************************* The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive Unit 2, Orillia, Ontario, Canada. L3V 6H1 David Eyre, Owner. Phone/Fax 705 326 7171 Agents for E.H.Thorne & B.J.Sherriff UK http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks ********************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 15:38:32 -0500 Reply-To: beeworks@muskoka.net Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology Comments: Authenticated sender is From: David Eyre Organization: beeworks Subject: Re: Thanks-Nosema Comments: To: bjhensel@metro.net MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT On 17 Jan 97 at 21:46, BRIAN HENSEL wrote: Re: Thanks-Nosema > laying eggs like mad, even though winter was approaching. In just three > months she has brought this hive back from extinction, and did it in the > middle of winter! I chose Buckfast because of their resistance to > varroa, their gentleness, and from all of the things I have read about > BROTHER ADAM, and all the postings here on BEE-L. Whoa, back up a bit! While I agree with all you have done, I must correct one small point. There are NO Varroa resistant bees. I know there are bee breeders who are claiming resistance to both mites, but it's all hype. There is resistance to T-mites, and not all are 'Buckfast', in fact we have a number of bee breeders in Ontario who have resistance but no 'Buckfast' bees in their yards. So when you see "resistant to both mites' get out the salt pot, and take it with a grain of salt!! ********************************************************* The Bee Works, 9 Progress Drive Unit 2, Orillia, Ontario, Canada. L3V 6H1 David Eyre, Owner. Phone/Fax 705 326 7171 Agents for E.H.Thorne & B.J.Sherriff UK http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks ********************************************************* ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 16:23:02 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Jim Maus Subject: Re: Where's the bullet? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I think those that have responded have been much to hard on Dr. Rodriguez at least he is trying SOMETHING what have you all OFFERED....NOTHING I see WE (including myself) are all waiting for the silver bullet to come from SOMEWERE human nature as it were always seems to look for the flaws or the reason it WON'T work I say BE THANKFULL someone is trying to help. I think a person should use t-mite resistant stock without oiled paper and then go from there otherwise you just keep treating with "oil" for tracheal mites when Br. Adam has proven you do not need this step for T-mite we must conquer Varroa then we will be on the right course and my point precisely is that Dr. R has tried something and may have a lead. Jim Maus ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 09:44:47 +1000 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Chris Allen Subject: Re: Hive outbreak from stings Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 03:26 PM 19/01/97 -0700, you wrote: > A friend of mine experienced quite a bit of itching when stung. The last >time, she could not remove the sting quickly and broke out in hives >in parts of the body removed from the sting site. > My question: Have any of you had such an experience? If so, did your >body chemistry adapt and allow you to continue to receive stings without >adverse effect? > My wife had a similar affect once. We were not handling the bees properly and were both stung more than usual. As we drove home she complained about itches all over her body. When we gao home (and could turn on the lights) we saw patches of red all over her. I rubbed calamine lotion (or whatever that pink stuff is called) all over her and went to bed. (it was now early morning). When we woke at daylight she was fine. No red patches and no itches. Since then she has been less keen to get "stuck into it" and makes a point of dressing up more than I do. Incidently, during the same incident, I had received a lot more stings than she did. The parts where I was stung felt a LITTLE more swollen than normal (but not much). That was the only difference that I could feel. Regards Chris Allen ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 14:47:31 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Roy Nettlebeck Subject: Re: open feeding In-Reply-To: <199701192314.TAA18016@bud.peinet.pe.ca> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Sun, 19 Jan 1997, Stan Sandler wrote: > Hi Eric and All: > > Do you think open feeding encourages robbing, or keeps the foraging bees > busy and so discourages it? > Hi Stan and All, Very good question. I have seen robbing going on with open feeding. I belive that the robbing was going on before the open feeding. I try not to do open feeding , except pollen and supplement feeding of brewers yeast.Weak hives do not get the full advantage of open feeding and after you shut it down it could start robing from the weak hives. Best Regards Roy ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 18:57:35 -0400 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Stan Sandler Subject: Re: Two Queen Colony Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hi Garrett, Ted and All: Since both of you are fairly northern beekeepers (Ohio, Michigan) I am curious about how you manage to get young queens that you can use for splitting your colonies around the first of May. I don't think I could possibly rear queens here in PEI in April and I would have just assumed that you were buying your queens except for Garrett's final remark about using artificial insemination to rear stock that might be adapted to this system. I know our spring is delayed here compared with the midwest, but I am still curious as to what techniques you can use to raise queens that early. I just got a price list from F.W.Jones for queens and packages from New Zealand, Australia, and Hawaii (the only places we can import from because we are varroa and tracheal mite free). Queens were $20 to $25 and it was $180 for a 2 kilogram packages of bees with two queens. Sheesh. The queens especially have gone up. Regards, Stan ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 15:06:38 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Roy Nettlebeck Subject: Re: Thanks-Nosema Comments: To: David Eyre In-Reply-To: <199701202040.PAA04969@segwun.muskoka.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Mon, 20 Jan 1997, David Eyre wrote: > On 17 Jan 97 at 21:46, BRIAN HENSEL wrote: Re: Thanks-Nosem > Whoa, back up a bit! While I agree with all you have done, I must correct > one small point. There are NO Varroa resistant bees. I know there are bee > breeders who are claiming resistance to both mites, but it's all hype. > There is resistance to T-mites, and not all are 'Buckfast', in fact we > have a number of bee breeders in Ontario who have resistance but no 'Buckfast' bees > in their yards. > So when you see "resistant to both mites' get out the salt pot, and take > it with a grain of salt!! > Hi David, I disagree with the lact of Varroa resistant bees. Alois Wallner in Austria has bees that do groom out Varroa and bit there legs off. There have been bred for 20 generations now and still going strong. You might write Susan Colbey , for she has seen the bees first hand.Think also of the places in the world that can use no chemicals at all.They may use other means to hold down varroa , but they are working towards resistant stock. Best Regards Roy ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 15:29:34 -0800 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Roy Nettlebeck Subject: Re: Where's the bullet? In-Reply-To: <199701202226.QAA18046@mail.execpc.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Mon, 20 Jan 1997, Jim Maus wrote: > I think those that have responded have been much to hard on > Dr. Rodriguez at least he is trying SOMETHING what have you all > OFFERED....NOTHING > I think a person should use t-mite resistant stock without oiled paper > and then go from there otherwise you just keep treating with "oil" > for tracheal mites when Br. Adam has proven you do not need this > step for T-mite we must conquer Varroa then we will be on the right > course and my point precisely is that Dr. R has tried something and > may have a lead. Jim Maus > Hi Jim, If you would look thru the list over the last year , you will find many Ideas plus plenty of people trying to beat Varroa.The Oil on paper is not new by any means.I don't think we should put anyone down. I used the paper and oil myself plus a paper and oil with pepernint oil.The later can be toxic to bees.I did get that info from a researcher and I know of at least 20 people working very hard at the problem of Varroa. We have problems to address with research that is going on now. What affect does the oil have on egg laying. Will the larva be feeding at the same rate and will it change anything in the life cycle of the bee.We do know that we have beekeepers all over trying different things to kill the mite. I do appreciate the good Dr. R's work. It is too much like what we have been doing for the last year , to call it a great breakthru. It will be good results to be added with what we have now. Best Regards Roy ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 20:04:20 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: "(Thomas) (Cornick)" Subject: Re: Where's the bullet? Who know whether the Drs. method is the "silver bullet we have been looking for . One thing for certain I will be trying some mineral oil on a hive to see whether I can reproduce his results. I am no scientist just a hobbiest with 15 colonies and an observation hive and I sure would appreciate another resource against varroa and preferably one that is not a monopoly. Tom ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 20:53:33 -0500 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: MIDNITEBEE Subject: supplier/buyer MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Greetings: I have a candle manufacturer,who is looking to buy beeswax.He will purchase 500lbs, after the first purchase of 30lbs.The first 30lbs will be a test.What the "test" is about,I don"t know.He is only willing to pay $3.50lb.,shipping included.He will purchase 2000-4,000lbs after doing business for a year. Email me directly,if interested.BTW-The buyer lives in California. Midnitebee(Herb) midnitebee@cybertours.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 20:09:18 -0600 Reply-To: bbirkey@interaccess.com Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Barry Birkey Organization: www.Birkey.Com Subject: Re: Where's the bullet? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Jim Maus wrote: > > I think those that have responded have been much to hard on > Dr. Rodriguez at least he is trying SOMETHING what have you all Jim - I think there has only been one or two "much to hard" posts about Dr. R. For the most part people are very interested in what he has to offer. I agree with Roy though that there have been things said by Dr. R. that raise legitimate questions. I am still anxiously waiting for the full discloser by Dr. R. of his "breakthrough" (and I don't say this sarcastically) as he put it before I form an opinion on his mite solution. I think that Pedro may have jumped the gun a bit in making all the claims he's made over the last while as it has gotten peoples interest way up but it doesn't seem that he is really at the point of full discloser. I'm ready when he is :>) -Barry -- Barry Birkey West Chicago, Illinois USA bbirkey@interaccess.com http://www.birkey.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 20:11:35 -0600 Reply-To: Discussion of Bee Biology Sender: Discussion of Bee Biology From: Ed Levi Subject: Re: open feeding & requeening pallets Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Hi: > >Open feeding is an open invitation to any other bees in the neighborhood >(feral, your neighbors, etc.). As such the potential for spread of >disease and mites is high. > >Jerry Bromenshenk I agree with Jerry. Furthermore, open feeding benefits the stronger colonies most while the weaker, more needy colonies do not have the field strength to take full advantage. Ed Levi -- End --