BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER > NATURAL & ORGANIC BEEKEEPING METHODS

TF hives often die out in yr 2- how to avoid it ?

<< < (8/8)

charentejohn:
Varroa counting is a tricky thing, probably why people avoid it ?
Good that you pointed out that the german reports may not be entirely accurate.  I struggle to get the 10 on a sticky board = X in the hive bit, even the death roll methods or dragging out drones (you can guess I am not a fan) are just a random sample.
I know some people say they have no varroa but that sounds unlikely, they probably have very few though.  Basically the bees will have to come to terms with the varroa problem, and I am sure they will, as it is not going away.  As an example if my hive contains 20k bees and 3k mites on them + a load in the brood then either that is a lethal dose or they will shrug it off. 

I have gone through the OMG anything could be happening to them all is lost phase of this process and am coming out the other side.  I will stick with monitoring varroa drop as I would like to know and it doesen't interfere with them.  Other than that I am trying to leave them to it.
These came to me as a treated nuc with just a few varroa, that said on the german count 3 on arrival = 300 on the bees and away we go, so would be the same if they swarmed.  If they ended up in a tree they would face the same problems. 
It is hard to let go of the urge to do something though.

Michael Bush:
>In what year do most beeks become successful at overwintering?

I've met people who have only had bees two or three years who know more than people who had kept bees 50 years.  It's not just the years, but the effort put into observation and experimentation.  Paying attention to how your decisions affect the bees.  But certainly most people get better as they go.  Some a lot faster than others.

JojoBeeBoy:
All good advice. I agree that the 2-year mark isn't entirely a mite issue. And Phillip, I have no intention of quitting. I'm coming up on my fifth winter back into bees and this summer has been the most fun I've had doing anything in years! :)

Started raising my own queens this year and that made expansion much easier. And to Mr Bush's last comment, I have learned many painful and expensive lessons in life. Those are the ones that eventually changed my behaviors. Dad used to quote Benjamin Franklin as saying, "Experience keeps a dear school, but a fool can learn in no other." He would usually conclude by placing himself in that group, and I have fit that description many times.

side note: A lady texted from 4-5 hours away this morning wanting a nuc. I was able to tell her of someone much closer than myself. I told her their are many opinions and sometimes you will see the YouTube guys take a jab at one another. But with that said, except for some churches and maybe a few recovery type groups, I have never seen a community of people so willing to help each other.

Thanks to all of you!  :grin:

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page