Recent Posts

41

THE 2ND AMENDMENT / Re: ATF EXPERT

« Last post by animal on April 15, 2024, 07:59:53 am »

Maybe he was only an expert in real firearms and the plastic threw him off..


 kidding .. Glocks are good and the expert's an idiot; and according to ATF, a metal business card is a machine gun 

42

CRAFTING CORNER / Re: Wax contamination question

« Last post by Ben Framed on April 15, 2024, 07:31:48 am »

OAV is not registered and is illegal to use in Australia at this point.

Humm

Les who are the people who are behind your bio-security order. Most likely they are made up as a group or board. A fair question, what is the credentials of each individual member who are on this committee who are making the decisions for you? What are their experiences and education concerning the treatment of Varroa, as well as the viruses they carry?

Food for thought:
I will let you in on a personal thought. I have often wondered if the viruses carried by Varroa Destructor are the main culprit in colony collapse? I have wondered if beekeepers could weather the storm, allowing the viruses to go through their apiaries leaving only the strongest hives, would the remaining survivors become more so virus resistant? Would this be more important than the bees themselves becoming resistance to the mites?

Michael Bush successfully keeps bees without treating if I remember correctly, (Is this correct Mr Bush) as does cao. I have had these two in mind for quite sometime and those questions were spawn from there...

43

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Follow the Bloom - 2024

« Last post by Ben Framed on April 15, 2024, 07:08:46 am »

Mr Bush, I know nothing of crabapples for the consideration of bees. Do apples produce a fair amount of nectar for honey? If so is it a light honey or dark honey?

44

TOP BAR HIVES - WARRE HIVES - LONG HIVES / Re: Larger Layens hives

« Last post by Ben Framed on April 15, 2024, 06:58:14 am »

Bob you have been faithful in posting about long hives, I an beginning to wonder if I am missing something by sticking with traditional Langstroth hives... But on the other hand you have not used Langstroth hives, so I suppose we both are limited in the interest of the other. 🤷🏻‍♂️ 🙂

45

TOP BAR HIVES - WARRE HIVES - LONG HIVES / Re: Larger Layens hives

« Last post by Michael Bush on April 15, 2024, 05:57:59 am »

I have experimented extensively with long hives.  I think four feet is both the practical limit and the best length.  Wyatt Magnum says you can do five feet but it takes more management to get them to expand that far.

46

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Follow the Bloom - 2024

« Last post by Michael Bush on April 15, 2024, 05:46:29 am »

Wild plums are in full bloom.  My crabapple bloomed yesterday.  I took bees to an apple orchard Saturday and it was just starting to bloom.

47

PHOTO PAGE - MEMBER PHOTOS & BEE-MOVIES HERE! / Re: Bees on flowers

« Last post by Michael Bush on April 15, 2024, 05:32:59 am »

>If that report is accurate then there is a good chance the paint contained lead.

Whatever they were painting Ford tractors with back in the 60s probably.

48

CRAFTING CORNER / Re: Wax contamination question

« Last post by Lesgold on April 15, 2024, 02:15:30 am »

I understand what you are saying Phillip but while we are under the bio security order we have no option. If we detect mites in a hive and once they get to the required threshold, we have to treat all hives in the apiary. We don?t have any choice in the matter. From memory, we have about 5 options here in Australia as far as treatments are concerned. We have a lot of beekeepers who are not registered and have very little idea about what is happening. Quite a few won?t do anything and will try to ride it out. They are the people who will eventually have nothing but in the meantime they will be a problem to anyone else in the neighbourhood. OAV is not registered and is illegal to use in Australia at this point. It may be an option down the track but not in the immediate future. Treating with honey supers on or off is another issue that I?m sure you guys all face as well. In our situation, honey flows are not consistent from year to year and this will make planning difficult. Every year will be different for us as we rely on eucalypts to flower for much of our honey and they all have different cycles. I had been thinking about buying foundation again rather than making it but my suppliers are both in infested areas and I wouldn?t trust that the wax will be clean. At least I know what?s in the wax if I make my own. Anyway, that?s enough of a rant. It will be a challenge but mostly in the next two years. If I can survive that, it will be much easier to manage.

49

CRAFTING CORNER / Re: Wax contamination question

« Last post by Ben Framed on April 15, 2024, 01:27:45 am »

since I only use organic treatments

And that is my opinion as well. There has been a lot of discussion on this subject (treating), since I have been a member here, with some very good information provided by some heavy hitting members; From non treating members to 'one beekeeper in particular' who's family has been keeping bees for 7 generations commercially.

When I began beekeeping I knew little to noting about varroa destructor and Im still learning. I have ask numerous questions concerning the control of this pest. Fortunately we had some older, experienced, wise beekeepers here to help us along; As well as doing our own research in conjunction...

Try the search button Les and see what you come up with. (you should find a lot of information on the subject) If you do not find information that is satisfactory to you concerns, maybe I can help find some of those old discussions for your benifit.....

50

CRAFTING CORNER / Re: Wax contamination question

« Last post by Lesgold on April 15, 2024, 01:09:56 am »

We do have a couple of approved natural organic treatments that will be costly. The big problem we face is the mite bomb situation that will occur for a couple of years until things settle down. Apparently treatments will only be short lived while there are wild hives still present or if some beekeepers don?t treat their hives. Over time, these hives will die out but until that occurs there will be constant issues with infestations reoccurring  soon after treatment. We are currently under a bio security order which sets out procedures for beekeepers to follow. Until this is lifted, we have to do exactly what is listed. The mite is getting close and could arrive fairly soon. It?s a bit of a worrying time.