Contingency Plan
If my feral hive does not make it through the winter!
Introduction
I, like other beekeepers have lost many hives experimenting with ideas to overcome the Varroa mite. I would love to stop loosing colonies every year and start enjoying the craft once again! The most promising compromise to come down the pike is getting back to natural brood nests. Weather you are a small cell foundation advocate or natural cell advocate does not matter. The issue, which is a bit premature in my opinion, is the use of IPM’s or not.
The organic/biological proponents say anything that does not originate in the hive is wrong and will only serve as a crutch for the bees preventing them from developing survival tactics on their own. O.K. the point is a valid one. On the other side of the spectrum you have commercial beekeepers that cannot afford to loose 25% let alone 75% of their livelihood. These beekeepers use anything that works as long as it works now. O.K if supporting my family or poverty was the choice then I guess I see the point from their shoes.
Observations
The basis for a contingency plan MUST be a compromise on both sides. Man took 150 years to screw up bees so don’t think a change in management practices is going to fix it in one season. Thanks to 20 some years of research we MAY be able to reach a middle ground in a couple of seasons.
IPM measures may have to be used during the first one or maybe two seasons. The compromise is luckily there are non contaminating options such as powdered sugar dusting and FGMO. Anything I can eat and put in the hive at the same time is not contaminating in my book. In case you did not know FGMO is exactly the same mineral oil sold everywhere as a laxative, YES you can drink it! Anything that is natural or organic that requires a nuclear, chemical and biological suit and respirator to handle, has warning labels that say “Death may occur” is contaminating and anyone that calls it natural is an IDIOT!
The Plan
This is not a complicated plan, but then again we are hobby beekeepers, most of us work other jobs and time is a factor so this is the simplest way I can think of to stabilize colonies and at least get my foot in the door. I also do not think that anyone out there with hives that need no treatment were not treating theses hives before weaning them off treatments!
The plan is a simple one:
Establish new hives in the spring feed honey only and only if necessary.
Add bars to brood nest if necessary no later than early summer .
Monitor mite fall with use of sticky board.
Treat every two weeks in Aug, Sept and Oct with powdered sugar (stop when focus changes to over wintering).
Winterize hive and wait.
Following season monitor mite fall only.
Breed from survivor colonies.
There are many more labor intensive options that can be added if you are retired and have the time. As for me I want to disturb the hive as little as possible!
I am always open to suggestions.
This page updated 05 Jan 08
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