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RE: Setting a wild honeybee trapline
How did your hives do over the winter? Everybody here in the NRV had major losses. I totally agree with using bait hives to capture wild genetics. Keep up the good work.
I lost all three of my hives due to my stupidity of not winterifying them at all. I am very upset about it. My employer lost about 35% which is not bad compared to everyone else in the Shenandoah valley.
Dang always hate to hear that. Talked to a friend of mine tonight that lost 31 out of 31. I had 14 in Fall and have 3 now. Getting my bait hives ready and a couple of nuc boxes to do some splits. Its a hard hobby when they die.
I knew it would be from the start, but when it was definitely my fault, it is so much worse. The fact that I am reinvesting and expanding shows me I am hooked.
Do you treat for mites? If yes with what?
I dont treat. I go back and forth about it. If I were to treat I would use one of the organic acids. I am trying to do a Fall feeding with honey and herbs to boost immune and antiviral properties. From my current understanding it is disease and virus that really effect the bees. I feel to many people are looking for a 'silver bullet' approach to it. Also feeding sugar changes the digestive track to a pH of 7 instead of around a 5. Big difference and it allows virus's to flourish.
I am the same way. A big part of my philosophy is that the less "solutions" humans come up with, the better. Usually they are just further problems.