Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Varroa Gate  (Read 3025 times)

Offline Aroc

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 294
  • Gender: Male
Varroa Gate
« on: April 08, 2018, 11:33:33 pm »
I?m assuming Bayer?s Varroa Gate never made it to market.  I see ads talking about it from a couple years ago but never have seen any being sold.

Anyone know what happened?
You are what you think.

Online BeeMaster2

  • Administrator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 13494
  • Gender: Male
Re: Varroa Gate
« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2018, 12:28:35 am »
I cannot see where adding more poison inside our hives would actually help the bees.
A friend of mine designed a brush with a screen below it that is added to the entrance. She claims it knocks the mites off the bees as they pass through the brush. She has not tried to market it.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline eltalia

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1170
Re: Varroa Gate
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2018, 06:03:08 am »
"She claims it knocks the mites off the bees as they pass
 through the brush"

As most may know I have been on this VD case maybe 7months
now Jim, yet despite reading literally thousands of posts, several
studies and probed hypotheticals put up, I am yet to come across
anything that constitutes a "cure" for all EHB anywhere.

As a very wide brush I reckon it is coming down to a biological
method to wipe the whole population of VD and VJ anywhere out.
Something I would not be part of easily... but for the greater good
(pollination) I am of the mind "a man's gotta do what a man's gotta
do". Sad as that is for the food chain, somewhere.

Bill

Offline Acebird

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 8110
  • Gender: Male
  • Just do it
Re: Varroa Gate
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2018, 09:09:30 am »
I cannot see where adding more poison inside our hives would actually help the bees.
Nothing to worry about Jim we add to all our food. :rolleyes:
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Offline little john

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1537
Re: Varroa Gate
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2018, 09:48:43 am »
Nothing to worry about Jim we add to all our food. :rolleyes:

Every time a person swallows saliva, they're dosing themselves with cyanide (as the thiocyanate) - the difference between a poison and a non-poison is one of dosage.  Do you smoke or drink, eat convenience food with additives, burn gasoline or burn rubbish in the garden ?  All sources of potential poisons ...

Having said that, can't say I approve much of using Bayer's products.
LJ
A Heretics Guide to Beekeeping - http://heretics-guide.atwebpages.com

Offline Acebird

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 8110
  • Gender: Male
  • Just do it
Re: Varroa Gate
« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2018, 10:06:01 am »
the difference between a poison and a non-poison is one of dosage.
And accumulation.  When the poison is not put in food you accumulate far less then if it is.
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Offline Hobbyist

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 10
  • Gender: Male
Re: Varroa Gate
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2018, 08:56:17 am »
I think the point that Jim is trying to make is that less is more. Breed bees that can take care of themselves because they have been doing it for thousands of years. I agree with MB's handling of his bees because the bees need to rely upon their natural methods of genetic selection. I bought bees from a local that treats his bees and tried to go treatment free gradually ( I was doing powder sugar shakes) and they died right after they started mass producing in the spring because of disease. Soon after I actually received a swarm from Jim. He does not treat and they have done fantastic. In fact I now have two hives and the original hive is probably going to end up 6-7 boxes high this year. That is after a couple splits.

Offline Hobbyist

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 10
  • Gender: Male
Re: Varroa Gate
« Reply #7 on: April 14, 2018, 09:10:04 am »
A good example is that as medicine improves for humans you are going to start seeing longer life expectancy which appears better in the interim. but that also means that weaker people will replicate and by the time that something like the Spanish influenza comes around ( it wiped out a 1/3 of the world's population) it will do far more damage to the existing population. Because even though we have fantastic technology and medical advancement the shifts in viruses and bacteria that cause illness are still superior just like our immune system and genetic selection is still superior.

Offline eltalia

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1170
Re: Varroa Gate
« Reply #8 on: April 16, 2018, 06:46:31 pm »
A good example is that as medicine improves for humans you are going to start seeing longer life expectancy which appears better in the interim. but that also means that weaker people will replicate and by the time that something like the Spanish influenza comes around ( it wiped out a 1/3 of the world's population) it will do far more damage to the existing population. Because even though we have fantastic technology and medical advancement the shifts in viruses and bacteria that cause illness are still superior just like our immune system and genetic selection is still superior.

As genetic selection may overcome some we humans are hellbent
on reversing those 'Improvements' [note use of single quotes] through
introducing new stresses to the improved model.
GE crops being just one example.

Bill


Offline Acebird

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 8110
  • Gender: Male
  • Just do it
Re: Varroa Gate
« Reply #9 on: April 16, 2018, 09:20:35 pm »
[note use of single quotes]
Looks like improper English. :oops:
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Offline little john

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1537
Re: Varroa Gate
« Reply #10 on: April 17, 2018, 07:36:26 am »
Breed bees that can take care of themselves because they have been doing it for thousands of years.

Do you not see something contradictory within what you've written there ... ?

Quote
I agree with MB's handling of his bees because the bees need to rely upon their natural methods of genetic selection.

Again - natural selection is just that - Natural.  i.e. without human involvement.  Beekeeper selection is beekeeper-selection - which can't possibly be 'Natural'.  It's a contradiction in terms.

Your argument about Spanish Flu is seriously flawed - it occurred in 1918, prior to the advent of antibiotics and anything resembling health-care.  In those days if you became infected or otherwise fell ill - tough - you probably died.  That's as close to human 'Natural Selection' as you can get - but did it stop the massive death toll of that disease ? No.
LJ
A Heretics Guide to Beekeeping - http://heretics-guide.atwebpages.com