From MAILER-DAEMON Fri Sep 17 12:52:22 1999 Received: from listserv.albany.edu (listserv.albany.edu [169.226.1.24]) by luna.oit.unc.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA27356 for ; Fri, 17 Sep 1999 12:52:21 -0400 (EDT) Received: from listserv.albany.edu (listserv.albany.edu [169.226.1.24]) by listserv.albany.edu (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id MAA11133 for ; Fri, 17 Sep 1999 12:52:17 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <199909171652.MAA11133@listserv.albany.edu> Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1999 12:52:17 -0400 From: "L-Soft list server at University at Albany (1.8d)" Subject: File: "BEE-L LOG9907E" To: adamf@METALAB.UNC.EDU Content-Length: 37600 Lines: 821 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 00:42:36 EDT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Pollinator@AOL.COM Subject: Cotton/Bees/Pesticides MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cotton is now in bloom. If you are a beekeeper in cotton country, now is the most dangerous time of year for your bees, because they will be working cotton blossoms. Insecticide applications can drop the field bees in the cotton fields. This type of damage is not immediately obvious, but can lead to weak hives and winter losses from bees that are depopulated to the point where they cannot hold heat. Other types of insecticides can be carried back to the hives, causing massive dieoffs at the entrance. These are obvious, and often cause the direct death of the hives. Other times, the hive appears to recover, but the poisoned pollen is just stored underneath fresh pollen, only to be uncovered and eaten in winter, when pollen is in short supply. The only protection bees have from misuse of pesticides is knowledgeable and assertive beekeepers who will educate growers and applicators, and see to it that violators who kill bees, don't get away with it. Check out the newly available resources at: http://www.pollinator.com/cotton/ In a couple days, they will be advertized to cotton growers, applicators and others involved in the industry. Beekeeper comments are solicited. Dave Green Hemingway, SC The Pollination Scene http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html The Pollination Home Page http://www.pollinator.com/ ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 00:36:30 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Vivian Donahue Subject: varroa control Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I just purchased one of the mesh wire floors to try for varroa control, but I was under the impression that it was to be placed on top of the bottom board not in place of it. Was I wrong in that assumption or is this simply another approach to the problems mentioned here? If you leave the solid bottom board off all winter, won't it be too cold for the bees? Our weather in Virginia, US is similar to most of UK, but I think we get a bit more snow. Would this be a problem? Also, I have a slatted spacer under my brood chambers for added ventilation and space, and my setting is in the shade in the summer, so I don't have quite the heat problems that sunny settings do. Vivian >This season, after reading comments in these pages, have returned to a >system I tested a few years back - Open Mesh Floors. In these pages it was >being advocated as a method of varroa control, the mites falling through the >mesh onto the ground below the hive. snip> >I will leave my mesh floors in position throughout the winter, my previous >experience was that my bees enjoyed the added ventilation, less >condensation. >Ken Hoare >bees@kenlia.enta.net ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 07:05:12 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: "WM. ARNOLD JONES" Subject: hummingbird feeders Comments: To: BEE-L@cnsibm.albany.edu MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I have a couple of neighbors complaining about my bees on their = hummingbird feeders in large numbers. Is there anything I can put on = the feeders that will discourage the bees from the nectar in the = feeders yet leave the birds still feeding at them? The neighbors are getting noisy. Arnold Jones LaFollette, Tn.=20 ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 16:08:48 +0200 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Michael Haberl Organization: Hessische Landesanstalt fuer Tierzucht Subject: Re: Genetic diversity MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Regarding our discussion about genetic diversity, here is a new little piece of information. The abstract given below is from: http://www.pubs.royalsoc.ac.uk/publish/pro_bs/index.htm --- Relatedness among honeybees (Apis mellifera) of a drone congregation E.Baudry, M.Solignac, L.Garnery, M.Gries, J.-M.Cornuet, N.Koeniger Proc R Soc Lond B 1998 vol 265 pp2009 The honeybee (Apis mellifera) queen mates during nuptial flights, in the so-called drone congregation area where many males from surrounding colonies gather. Using 20 highly polymorphic microsatellite loci, we studied a sample of 142 drones captured in a congregation close to Oberursel (Germany). A parentage test based on lod score showed that this sample contained one group of four brothers, six groups of three brothers, 20 groups of two brothers and 80 singletons. These values are very close to a Poisson distribution. Therefore, colonies were apparently equally represented in the drone congregation, and calculations showed that the congregation comprised males that originated from about 240 different colonies. This figure is surprisingly high. Considering the density of colonies around the congregation area and the average flight range of males, it suggests that most colonies within the recruitment perimeter delegated drones to the congregation with an equal probability, resulting in an almost perfect panmixis. Consequently, the relatedness between a queen and her mates, and hence the inbreeding coefficient of the progeny, should be minimized. The relatedness among the drones mated to the same queen is also very low, maximizing the genetic diversity among the different patrilines of a colony. --- I do not know why the authors did not expect a number that high. However, I find it interesting to see when the invisible becomes visible. Michael Haberl haberl@mailer.uni-marburg.de ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 08:30:09 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Thom Bradley Subject: Re: Cotton/Bees/Pesticides MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dave, Great page. Lots of information there. How about a description of the difference between pollen and water foraging. How can we see the difference in behavior and describe it to a layman. Mind if I link to the page? Thom Bradley Chesapeake, VA Pollinator@AOL.COM wrote: > Check out the newly available resources at: > http://www.pollinator.com/cotton/ > > In a couple days, they will be advertized to cotton growers, applicators > and others involved in the industry. Beekeeper comments are solicited. > > Dave Green Hemingway, SC > ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 15:36:12 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Lowell & Diane Hutchison Subject: Re: hummingbird feeders MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hummingbird feeders come with bee guards. Unfortunately, most people throw them away. Invest in some new feeders for the neighbors and put the guards in place, no more problems. ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 17:08:28 -0400 Reply-To: Al Needham Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Al Needham Subject: Re: hummingbird feeders MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit >I have a couple of neighbors complaining about my bees on their = >hummingbird feeders in large numbers.......... Arnold: Your neighbors do not have much choice except to replace their feeders with a version that has a longer tunnel down to the syrup - okay for a hummingbird, a bit too long for a bee to reach. I am not aware of anything else that you can do - except steal the feeders in the middle of the night :-). Al Needham Scituate, MA.,USA Visit " The BeeHive " Learn About Honey Bees And Beekeeping http://www.xensei.com/users/alwine ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 17:32:40 -0500 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Robert Barnett Subject: Re: hummingbird feeders and honeybees Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Greetings! One thought on this issue! In my back yard I have five colonies and six nucs, and have had two hummingbird feeders for years. We almost NEVER see a bee on them, not a single one this whole year. On the other hand, yellow jackets come in droves, and will face off in flight with the hummingbird(s)...In fact I saw this happen today, and the YJ won, drove the hummer off! This is here in Alabama. I would first observe this action and be prepared to teach some people the difference between the two insects. Now number two: A neighbor called me about this problem a block down the street....I went right over and there were yellow jackets all over her feeders, not a single honeybee! Bob Barnett Birmingham, Al ---------- > From: Lowell & Diane Hutchison > >Hummingbird feeders come with bee guards. Unfortunately, most people throw >them away. Invest in some new feeders for the neighbors and put the guards >in place, no more problems. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 00:36:34 +0200 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Jorn Johanesson Subject: Sv: varroa control MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit -----Oprindelig meddelelse----- Fra: Vivian Donahue Til: BEE-L@LISTSERV.ALBANY.EDU Dato: 29. juli 1999 14:27 Emne: varroa control >board not in place of it. Was I wrong in that assumption No you are right in this assumption. Place the tool on top of the bottom board but with a peace of white paper under. It will make it more easy for you to monitor the Varroa. >If you leave the solid >bottom board off all winter, won't it be too cold for the bees? I have in my whole time as a beekeeper (since 1970) used open buttons in my hives all the time. This to avoid moisture. And I have always no loose because of this. Most of the time here the winter is not that cold, but sometimes it gos below -10 degrees celcius. please rember the varroa board is not intended for using through the winter. Only use it for monitoring the varroa falldown. it shoul be less than 2 a day. Jorn Johanesson EDBi = multilingual Beekeeping software since 1987 http://home4.inet.tele.dk/apimo (Denmark) http://wn.com.au/apimo (Australia) http://apimo.dk (USA) apimo@post4.tele.dk apimo@wn.com.au Jorn_Johanesson@apimo.dk ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 08:42:31 -0600 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Allen Dick Subject: Re: Swarm Issuing and other fallacies In-Reply-To: <199906240003.UAA28451@listserv.albany.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > ...Bees in queenless colonies DO collect pollen - or at least they do in > Alberta. Because of the frequency of assertions to the contrary here I was > beginning to question my memory. I recall noticing many times that queenless > colonies had a lot more FRESH pollen available than queen-right colonies. > > This spring when I went to unwrap my bees all of the live colonies > seemed to be the same. Essentially the same traffic levels and the > same proportion of bees gathering pollen. However two of the > colonies were hopelessly queenless but the bees were quite > industriously bring in pollen and storing it in what should have > been the brood nest. This is very true, and one reason a hive of bees that has been without a queen for a period of time -- such as happens after dequeening or during introduction of a new queen -- will rebound strongly and often overtake hives nearby that have had queens all along. There is a myth that queens lay huge numbers of eggs continuously and that a queen that is capable of 2,000 eggs a day will lay that number continuously. Our experience is that the egg laying goes up and down with the weather and nutrition levels in the hive. Queens will often quit laying for several days during a rainy spell. Moreover, the amount of brood will normally diminish somewhat in strong hives as the season progresses after the initial spring buildup. This is one reason why I question the school of thought that claims that absolutely the "best" possible queens are necessary in all cases. In my experience, steady output can match the performance of a superstar queen that goes in fits and jerks. The limit to how many eggs are hatched and raised is often what the hive can feed and keep warm, not what the queen can lay. There are only several short periods in the year here where the queen will lay flat out, and when her output could limit hive growth. The rest of the time that is not the case. allen ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 15:49:48 +0300 Reply-To: jtemp@xs4all.nl Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Jan Tempelman Organization: Home sweet home Subject: Re: varroa control MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Picture of the board on: http://www.xs4all.nl/~jtemp/bodem.html weather>>>The Netherlands>>same as UK regards, jan Vivian Donahue wrote: > Our > weather in Virginia, US is similar to most of UK, but I think we get a bit > more snow. Would this be a problem? -- Jan Tempelman Kerkstraat 53 NL 7471 AG Goor xx.31.(0)547.275788 http://www.xs4all.nl/~jtemp/index3.html mailto:jtemp@xs4all.nl -- ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 17:29:40 -0400 Reply-To: beekeeper@honeyhillfarm.com Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: wtroyer Organization: Honey Hill Farm Subject: Re: hummingbird feeders MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Arnold Regarding the bees raiding the hummingbird feeders, I suspect what they want is water. You might try a wading pool with fresh water and a few leaves or branches floating on the water for landing pads. Wade -- Web Site: http://www.honeyhillfarm.com E-mail: beekeeper@honeyhillfarm.com Call Sign: W8BEE ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 22:42:41 -0400 Reply-To: String & Linda Monteith Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: String & Linda Monteith Subject: varroa control MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit >I have in my whole time as a beekeeper (since 1970) used open buttons in my hives all the time. This to avoid moisture. And I have always no loose because of this. Most of the time here the winter is not that cold, but sometimes it gos below -10 degrees celcius. If I am correct, this means 22º farenheit. Here we go _much_ lower. I recall -8º last winter. Is it still safe to do this? I have only two hives & wouldn't want to freeze my little ladies. Anyone in cold country tried this? Linda in Ohio. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 00:16:44 +0100 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Ken Hoare Subject: Open Mesh Floors MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit May I use these pages to answer both online and offline enquiries regarding Open Mesh Floors. I believe these floors originated in Germany and 'Observations on the Overwintering of Honeybee Colonies in Hives with OPEN and SOLID Floorboards' by Helmut Horn was written up in the July, 1990 issue of Beecraft - The Official Journal of the British Beekeepers Association. The article originally published in A.D.I.Z. (sorry cannot help with the full title) November, 1987. A footnote states, "Permission to publish kindly granted by Helmut Horn" so given more time I will scan in the original and e.mail it to any interested party (this may take a few weeks - does everyone's beekeeping assume a totally chaotic situation as the season winds up? It's not only bees, but other jobs to do before winter sets in). I will need to continue my research but Alistair Reid, a retired architect from Leicester exhibit his version of the floor at the 1990 UK National Honey Show and was awarded a second prize and a certificate of merit. It was at about that time that Alistair (is he still into beekeeping??) invited many to join him in testing these floors, and personally enjoy experimenting with my colonies, consequently I willingly accepted the challenge. An Open Mesh Floor is constructed by making an open framework to the external dimensions of the brood box, i.e. Langstroth 20" x 16 1/4". To this is fixed a wire mesh with 8 wires to the inch. This allows ventilation, in my recent experiments varroa mites to drop through, but at the same time prevents the ingress of predators such as wasps, and of course robbing bees. A small entrance is cut on one side, obviously above the mesh. The floors are used on their own, the normal floor being removed. In use Alistair stated that the stands to the hives need to be about 12" to 18" high - a good thing in itself saving much strain on the back during examinations. His idea was that the colony needed to be well away from the damp soil. The mesh floors are used both summer and winter but during the winter months about 3" of wood wool insulation is placed between the crown board (cover board) and normal roof. As previously stated I will need to wade through my literature on these floors but from memory the science behind this insulation was to reduce condensation dripping onto the colony during winter months. I used the floors for about three years and can honestly say that my bees have never been healthier, and the final analysis of Alistairs researchers I believe formed the same opinion. I know when I started my experiment I imagined hoards of wasps clustering below the mesh in the autumn thinking that was an easy entrance, but have never seen a single wasp trying to gain entrance via the mesh floor, they had obviously tried but given up finding the mesh impenetrable. I never suffered mouldy combs and didn't even bother about mouse guards, relying on very small entrances. When using these floors I have never observed bees clustering on the exterior of the hive and although I have never truly monitored and compare the honey harvests they all seem to do extremely well. Those that suffer wax moth problems - use a mesh floor as obviously no detritus forms as on a normal floor (winter months) and consequently the moth is out of business (or rather food). But it still has the brood combs but did I read that the moth does not like laying her eggs in light conditions, such as will be experienced with mesh floors? Did I also read that colonies are quieter and easier to handle in such conditions? Why I discontinued using these floors I cannot tell you, maybe it was some other experiment that I undertook as it was at about that time that we first detected varroa in the UK. As previously stated I read in BEE-L pages of someone's belief that these floors could be used as a management technique for controlling varroa, the idea being that many mites fall from the bees, some to fall upon bees lower down the comb, some to fall to the floor. It is those that fall to the floor that manage to scramble back up into the box and onto the bees, hence the reason that in the UK (and I believe in the States) we were using sticky, or petroleum jelly covered inserts to 'glue' them down. With mesh floors they just drop through the mesh onto the ground below to be consumed by ants and the like, if it works a totally environmentally friendly method of controlling mite populations - but don't forget, it will not control infestations on its own, chemicals are also likely to be needed but maybe less often. Some offline enquiries have been along the lines of, "Can I use these floors in our severe winters?" I have always firmly believed that cold does not kill bees but a damp environment does, BUT ADMIT I HAVE ONLY EXPERIENCE OF THE UK WINTERS. My advice to those beekeepers is try it on maybe just one colony, I believe it will have to be extremely cold to kill them (based on my method of killing extremely angry colonies by putting the whole hive into the deep freezer - it takes a long time for the coldness to percolate through the cluster). One writer enquired whether with nearly 100% humidity during the summer and possibly 70% during the winter if these floors would be an advantage to his colonies. I have no hesitation in stating an emphatic "Yes", I am sure the bees would enjoy the fresh, but maybe damp air. But enclose them in box with just the entrance block removed and they are going to be damper. There are other alternatives to mesh floors, i.e. the tube design and the slatted floor that I have seen used in Germany, but what could be simpler than stapling a sheet of wire mesh to simple wooden surround? Will help with further information if I can, but when time allows. Have just received a volunteer to steward in the honey section of the Shrewsbury Flower Show, but regrettably no beekeepers from the other side of the pond appear to be visiting the UK on the 13/14 August, pity that, it would be nice to make it an international list of stewards. To the offline writers I apologise for not replying personally, as stated lack of time, but don't be surprised if you suddenly hear from me during the winter months, when I WILL HAVE THE CENTRAL HEATING TURNED UP HIGH BUT MY BEES WILL BE HEALTHIER, BEING INSTALLED OVER 'OPEN MESH FLOORS', WITH ALL THEIR ADVANTAGES - AND NO DISADVANTAGES THAT I HAVE FOUND. Ken Hoare bees@kenlia.enta.net ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 20:00:51 EDT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: RASpiek@AOL.COM Subject: Re: hummingbird feeders MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit My hummingbird feeders were also visited by lots of my bees. I started feeding the bees at then hive and they left the bird feeders. We are in a sever drought in Ky. Richard ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 22:37:48 -0400 Reply-To: String & Linda Monteith Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: String & Linda Monteith Subject: Yellow Jackets MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit We have had serious problems with yellow jackets trying to get into the hives (only in the fall). Here in Ohio, I must put on entrance reducers no later than August 1st because of them. I did learn one interesting thing about them. Yellow Jackets love sugar, but in the fall they actually prefer protein snacks. So we bait the yellow jackets traps with a bit of hamburger. We also put the full traps in a large Ziplock bag & freeze it overnight to be sure all are dead before emptying the trap. Don't want one of those mean things near my hives!! Linda in Southern Ohio. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 11:39:24 +0200 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Tom Sanford Subject: Question on neonicotinoids Comments: cc: anderste@basf-corp.com, ENTOMO-L@LISTSERV.UOGUELPH.CA MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit The following has been sent to me: We spoke on the phone yesterday. I'm trying to get a better understanding of the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides against honeybees. I have reviewed the liturature, and the research that has been conducted so far makes this class of chemistry look generally OK regarding bees, as long as it's not sprayed while bees are flying, and care is taken to spray in the evening, so the residue weathers before the next day. However, the popular press has been reporting on beekeeper demonstrations in Paris, where angry beekeepers claim that imidacloprid treated sunflowers have wiped out hundreds, if not thousands of hives. The french beekeepers' claims don't seem to be supported by the research that I have been able to find. What's the real story? Looking down the road, there are 3-4 other new neonicotinoid insecticides in development. This whole chemical class will have a big impact on agriculture in about 3-4 years. What will this mean for bees? You can respond directly to Thomas Anderson: anderste@basf-corp.com -- =========================================================================== Dr. Malcolm (Tom) Sanford Extension Apiculturist, University of Florida Bldg. 970, P.O. Box 110620, Gainesville, FL 32611-0620 Ph. 352/392-1801 ext. 143 Fax 352/392-0190 E-mail: mts@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Publisher of the APIS newsletter: http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/apis.htm To electronically subscribe, send the following to listserv@lists.ufl.edu: subscribe Apis-L First Name Last Name ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author of Beekeeping in the Digital Age http://bee.airoot.com/beeculture/digital/ =========================================================================== ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 23:51:00 +0100 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: peter dillon Subject: French Beekeepers and Sunflowers MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dear All, If you remember, I posted a message several weeks back relating to problems with Sunflowers and the associated honey crop in France. At that time I was hoping with fingers crossed that the problems that we have had during the last few years would not be repeated. They have, and the crop in our area is once again a failure. Further field trials are taking place to try and prove if the culprit is the molecule 'imidaclopride', found as a seed treatment for such crops as Wheat, Barley, Maize, Beet and in the recent past, Sunflowers. It appears that this molecule is starting to make its commercial career in the States. If this the case, find out what toxicological tests have been made regarding bees. Is it considered safe? Does it deter bees from working the sunflower crop? How long has it been stated how long it remains in the soil after application ? What are the considered effects of the breakdown products from the molecule? Look up- http://apiservices.com/galerie/new.htm Best wishes Peter. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 20:02:36 -0300 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Farrington/Bequia Canvas Subject: Wax Moth Control Comments: To: Bee-L submissions MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hello All; Does anyone know of a substitute for Paradichlorobenzene to control wax = moths? I live in the Caribbean where this product is not available. US = suppliers will not, or can not ship it outside of the USofA. Thanks, Bob in Bequia ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 31 Jul 1999 20:17:12 PDT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: T & M Weatherhead Subject: Re: Wax moth control In-Reply-To: <199907310000.UAA08630@listserv.albany.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; X-MAPIextension=".TXT" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Bob wrote > Does anyone know of a substitute for Paradichlorobenzene to control wax = > moths? I live in the Caribbean where this product is not available. US = > suppliers will not, or can not ship it outside of the USofA. Have you thought about using cold temperatures to control your wax moth. Here in Australia, it is common to use old refrigerated shipping containers to put our supers in. We then turn on the freezing unit. I use about -5 degrees centrigrade for a few days. This will kill wax moth larvae as well as eggs. Other beekeepers can get their units to freeze down to -20 degrees centrigrade. The advantage of this is that it is normally a wax moth proof unit that will keep the combs in good condition once you have killed the larvae or eggs. However it greatest advantage is that it does not leave a residue in honey like chemicals can. With the way the world export market is going you need to consider producing honey that is free of any residue if you want to sell on the world market.. Trevor Weatherhead AUSTRALIA ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 31 Jul 1999 07:51:17 EDT Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Beekeeperc@AOL.COM Subject: Re: Wax Moth Control MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit If you are talking about after you extract the surplus honey you can freeze the frames for about 36 hours. This will kill off any wax moth eggs or larva. If you are speaking about a regular hive, the bees can control the moths themselves if the hive is strong. If you have a weak hive, you may want to combine two together. I hope this answers your question. Norm ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 31 Jul 1999 10:04:43 -0400 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: ratylor421 Subject: Re: Wax Moth Control MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit In the Lowcountry of South Carolina we use a wax moth trap. You take 2 liter coke bottle and cut a one and 1 1/4 inch hole. You add a cope of vinegar, cup of sugar and a bananna peeling. fill it 3/4 with water and hang bottle in bee yard. it will attract wax moths and not bees. ron taylor, Geechee honey farm ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 1 Aug 1999 00:02:31 +0100 Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology Sender: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology From: Peter R Watt Subject: Ventilated floors Comments: To: BEE-L@cnsibm.albany.edu MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Dear All, I am interested in the history of the ventilated floor. I learned about = these from Bernard Mobus who was the last bee adviser at the North of = Scotland College of Agriculture. He had very strong contacts with = Germany the land of his birth and I am "sure" that he learned of these = floors there. In 1990 when I and my wife took over the beekeeping unit = at Craibstone Estate these floors had already been in use for some = years, probably 10 or more. Craibstone belonged to N.O.S.C.A. We have = personally used these floors for 10 years or more and there is no way I = would go back to the solid variety. Why not, well there are several reasons. It is safer to move bees with a = ventilated floor given that we shut the bees in. The bees I feel, find = it easier to ventilate the colony especially during that rarity for us, = a decent honey flow. The colonies winter dry. All our hives have top = insulation and bottom ventilation all year round. When we get varroa = here (NE Scotland) the cold wintering this system gives will act against = the mites I hope. The last reason is a good Beekeeping one, well go = figure, holes are cheap! So they are but the mesh costs! The reason for this post is that I've a feeling that the wheel is being = reinvented again. Someone knows the real story and it goes way back I = feel sure of that. Sadly there is a lot of research which because it was = done pre the computer age is "lost" or more than a click away which = seems to be the same thing. For instance the work Jeffries did at = Craibstone on optimum colony overwintering size appears to be little = known even in the U.K. Well well that's progress, ? Wishing all full supers, Peter Watt. beeman@beeman.free-online.co.uk