Backyard Beekeeping Questions and Answers Episode 191, are varroa resistant to Oxalic Acid?
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- Опубліковано 2 лип 2024
- Welcome to another episode of backyard beekeeping topics.
I'm back in the groove after being at Hive Life.
Today's topics are listed in order below.
If you have a topic you'd like to submit for consideration, please fill out the form on this page: www.fredsfinefowl.com/thewayt...
Today's topics are listed in order below:
1) My honey was in storage and demonstrated a dramatic change in water%. Is it ruined? Can we still sell it?
2) I'm having trouble removing my Hive Alive Fondant without losing a handful of bees.
Here is a discount link for Hive Alive: www.fredsfinefowl.com/hiveali...
3) Is it ok to feed fondant made for baking to your bees in winter?
"Some types of white vinegar can contain up to 20% acetic acid, but these are strictly for agricultural or cleaning purposes and not intended for human consumption."
Be aware of all ingredients.
4) I was removing flow-frames last summer and noticed that some frames that appeared full were actually not full as bees were leaving cells available in the center.
For more information on Flow-Hives and discounts, please follow this link:
www.fredsfinefowl.com/theflow...
4)a At 78 degrees internal temperature, am I correct in assuming that the bees would be wandering around inside? Would it be possible to perform a mid-winter OAV treatment?
5) You have mentioned in the past that bees do not develop resistance of OA. Why not just do treatments and watch for mite drops instead of traumatizing them with sugar shakes or alcohol washes?
Resource Publication regarding OA Resistance: ri.conicet.gov.ar/handle/1133...
6) I use a rapid-round feeder to feed granulated sugar. Should/can I add pollen patties?
Today's Shout-Out goes to a nice new feeder product by www.revolutionaryhives.com/sh...
The Bee Buffet is going to be in my apiary and at my feeding stations in 2023. (Not sponsored, Not Affiliated). Just a good design.
Please tell them that Frederick Dunn sent you, so you can pay the same as everyone else. :)
1) My honey was in storage and demonstrated a dramatic change in water%. Is it ruined? Can we still sell it? 3:03
2) I'm having trouble removing my Hive Alive Fondant without losing a handful of bees. 6:45
3) Is it ok to feed fondant made for baking to your bees in winter? 10:10
4) I was removing flow-frames last summer and noticed that some that appeared full were not as bees were leaving cells available in the center. 14:45
4)a At 78 degrees internal temperature, would be wandering around inside? Would it be possible to perform a mid-winter OAV treatment? 19:06
5) You have mentioned in the past that bees do not develop resistance of OA. Why not just do treatments and watch for mite drops instead of traumatizing them with sugar shakes or alcohol washes? 23:15
6) I use a rapid-round feeder to feed granulated sugar. Should/can I add pollen patties? 36:15
You are at the top of the list of people to see at Hive Live. And we don't get tried of hearing about the event. So thank you and all the you tubers that helps us newbies to keeping bees. It takes alot of time to do what you do Fred . Know we appreciate it.
Thank you! :) We have Kamon Reynolds to thank for bringing all of us together. :)
We had such a great time at Hive Life. The "cut ups and cut outs" portion was one of my favorites. You three had me laughing the entire time!
Hi Pappy! Yes, that was just plain fun, and hearing people laugh was a truly great experience. I'm glad you had fun and it was nice to meet you!
I don’t remove the hive alive packet. I cut a square in the old packet then add the new packet on top. Very few bees escape.
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing our Bee Buffet feeder!
We got to watch this video with my dad who is the inventor. It was a really cool experience! You did an amazing job and we all enjoyed the video so much! Thank you again.
That is awesome! Absolutely, when I find something that I like, I'm not quiet about it :) Thank you! AND, please pass on my thanks to your Dad! Well done!
My order went through! Thank you many times over :) It was so nice to meet you in person :)
@@FrederickDunn We appreciate you so much! I passed your kind words on to my dad. They meant a lot to him!
@@FrederickDunn Great! I am so glad it went through!
It was great meeting you, too!
I sure enjoyed meeting you and seeing you interact with Mr. Ed and the Dirt Rooster!
Love the photography. My wife gets too many bee videos but always loves your intros because of your wildlife photography. Thanks
Glad you like them!
Keep talking about HiveLife! It was great to meet you, find out who Mr Ed is and we thoroughly enjoyed the teachings. Hope you'll be there next year, and thanks for letting us know about the Revolutionary Hive feeder. Don't know how I missed that. Blessings!
Thank you! Just let Kamon know that you want me back, and I'll be happy to Bee There :) for 2024 :)
The opening segment is proof of a creator! Something so complex and so serene. We missed ya Fred! All the best.
If a creation is proof of a creator who created the creator?
@@ryanstreckfuss9590 If you have to ask, then it's beyond your scope of understanding. For he is eternal. Try harder.
@@mschroed99 that's literally the explanation for why YOU don't know
The conference was very fun, informative and well worth the cost. The lunch options were very good as well. I expected a box lunch sort of meal but it was a hot lunch with many options…some of that good southern cooking.
Having lunch there was a great opportunity to visit and relaxe :) We definitley enjoyed it.
Hi Fred,
I really enjoyed your Hive Life show video.
Thank you for your diligence in answering our bee questions.
I also agree with you about the Bee Buffet system.
I would like to recommend that the small inner cover could be replaced with clear plastic so that you can check to see how the bees are using the feeder/water system. You could also just cut the top of this plastic cover off and glue a clear piece of plastic in its place for the units you already have. I also like the idea of keeping the cover on to prevent other debris from flying into the feeder/water fluid.
Hi Barry, all great points! I hadn't thought of a clear-view cover. Maybe you can talk with the inventors and get them to consider something like that? I know when you change to clear plastics, the price increases. BUT, since they already would have the molds, I'd think that changing to a clear plastic and using the same mold may be possible? Not sure what the shrink ratios would be with different materials, but I like your suggestion and I hope you'll contact them :)
@@FrederickDunn
Hi Fred,
I left a message for them on their contact page. I will let you know if I get a response. I hope they can use clear-view plastic. I believe it would be a value-added benefit that we would all like to see the bees while they are feeding without opening the cover and releasing critical heat and moisture.
I was looking at their other products of outside feeding and watering Rafts for 2-gallon and 5-gallon buckets. In their usage suggestions, they talk about the water temperature and its impact on the bees.
"1-When open feeding below an outside temperature of 80f we recommend heating the sugar water from 85f to 95f. This prevents the bees from becoming lethargic having filled themselves with cold liquid in a cold environment. Based on our findings we do not recommend open feeding below an outside temperature of 70f.
2-When feeding, once bees cover the Bee Raft so that it’s not visible, another feeding station should be provided."
In Buffalo/Western New York area, we rarely get into the 80s. Although, Global Warming is making things much hotter in our area. Should we heat our water? If so, how should we heat our water? If we are in temperatures less than 80 degrees F, should we even try to water and feed outside?
If the feed and water temperature should be 85 to 95 degrees F, should we be more focused on using internal water and feed systems like the Bee Buffet and other such systems?
Is there a temperature difference between water and various pollen feeding?
Perhaps this could be a good question topic for your next "Way-to-Bee"...
Thank you,
Barry
Great to see you at Hive Life
Good timing with the Bee Buffet. That will fit a Nucleus hive but now I have to change the hole size & shape.
It will still work over the standard hole :) I need to check in on those plans... thank you, Ross!
Fred, thanks for sharing your experience at Hive Life. I didn't make it but hope to do so next year.
Hi Frederick, I just wanted to say great video with you on David Burns channel at Hive Live. I didn’t make it this year maybe next.
Hi Christine, thank you, I'll have to go and check that out :)
😀
Enjoyed meeting you at Hive Life. Great conference.
Thank you, it was a great gathering, thanks for saying hello! :)
Fred-day! There is so much to learn by careful observation. So much I miss. Thanks for the advice. From the way it sounds, swarm season will be when the HL afterglow fades. 🤗 Take care
Fred saw the video of you on the stage with Ed and dirt Rooster. As well as the one with Kamon where you were the best presenter and the shrews don't go that far south :). When I realized you were at Hive Alive and that's why you did not make a video last Friday I was relieved. I believe your talk was well received as were the slow mo videos. Good to have you back.
Thank you Kennith, yes I was at Hive Life making the rounds. Kamon is an amazing guy considering all of the responsibilities he had during that convention. Being on stage with Jeff and Randy was just pure fun, and I'd do something like that any day of the week. :) Kamon just tossed us together, and I loved hearing the laughs from the audience :)
Great episode Fred 👍🏻 , have hopefully warm weekend
Great Job Fred! Enjoyed Meeting you at Hive Life, it was Busy, But had a Great time! Take Care!
Thanks, you too!
Loved watching Mr Ed's uncut uncensored video of you 3. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Ya'll did great.
I really enjoyed that exchange, we all get along so well and it continues off camera :) I think he took that video down? Thanks, Sherry :)
Just a note about powdered sugar that might help someone: If you take regular sugar and put it in a coffee grinder, you will have nice, additive-free powdered sugar in only a few seconds. That's what I use for my sugar rolls and fondant making. Cheers!
Nice Tip, thanks, Dawn :)
I enjoyed your presentation at Hive Life I find it very interesting to get a closer look into the life of honey bees. I also enjoyed yours Randy’s and Jeff’s cut ups and cut outs it was informative and entertaining. I think it’s very important to understand how bees live in the wild so we can keep our bees as naturally as possible for sustainability. I really like your observational hive design that Ricky built you and I’m planning to build one and will be looking forward to your plan to build it. Unfortunately you were a very popular person at Hive Life and each time I saw you, you had a line of people who were waiting to talk to you and I didn’t get a chance to say hello and thank you for all you do. I hope to get a chance to meet you in the future.
Thank you very much! I'm so glad that my presentation went off well. I am looking forward to loading up that Observation Hive by Horizontal Bees. :) He did a great job of putting my parameters into practical use. I'll be working with him in the future for sure. Maybe we'll cross paths again and can shake hands! :)
Your intro as always, a winter reminder, beautify.Culling hives that can't handle mites. Embarrassed to say I've rarely heard of that before. Culling is normal in other farmings. Thank you.
Fred are you running only Beeweavers? Sorry, forgot. Spreading good genetics through your drones. Oh heck yes.
IF I buy queens, they are from BeeWeaver. I know that I am watering down those genetics with my stock here by permitting them to re-queen. I only reproduce from those colonies that demonstrate my preferred traits :)
Always like seeing your question and answer videos. I'm going to make sure and keep a logbook of notes so I can keep track of things. No large aspirations, just hobby beekeeping and likely letting swarms naturally repopulate my area.
Notes and good records are always helpful, no matter at what level we are keeping our bees :)
"Attacked by shrews", you kill me Fred... Love the videos, great seeing you at HiveLife.
:)
Good seeing you again this year Fred.
Enjoyed your video at the conference of the products. Can't believe in my 20 trips around what I missed
I think we all missed more than we were able to look at. Thank you for watching that :)
The Bird Table Feeder at the start is awesome. Thats another good point about the fondant made for humans having gelatine in, I read an article some where of how that is bad for bees even more when its mixed with that acid that is created when boiling sugar. If I can find the article will post a link or send it to you to review. There is a name for the chemical acid. In short it said some thing about the combination being bad for the bees gut and reducing life span. I certainly would not be wanting to put animal based products in any of my hives.
Hi Fred, Cold n wet Johno from SoCal here…I’m at the OA section… looking forward to your micro work on how OA actually kills VDMs. I know your theory about their feet and eliminating their ability to grip surfaces. Why haven’t the Universities discovered the mechanism by which OAV works? Housekeeping/grooming bees chew of the VDM’s feet so there might be something in your approach.
Cheers, Johno… hope the mead was good.
I think that those studying OA and it's impact on varroa just may be satisfied to know the efficacy even if not completely understanding why/how it's working.
Thank you Fred, I really enjoyed your video of hive life. The video with you, Randy and Jeff was hilarious, as always thanks for all the great information you provide. Have a fantastic weekend, God bless .
Thank you, I really enjoyed my time with Randy and Jeff :)
Sunflower and chamomile pollen bees will self medicate those mites off and help with water retention
I'm curious about how you demonstrated that benefit? Please share any links. Thanks!
$15 Bee Buffet really nice price for us backyardy's
Agreed :)
I knew when I saw them, Fred's attention would be piqued.
Your intro as always, a winter reminder, beautify.Culling hives that can't handle mites. Embarrassed to say I've rarely heard of that before. Culling is normal in other farmings. Thank you.
Fred are you running only Beeweavers? Sorry, forgot.
Thanks I enjoyed this video. I like the thought of flooding an area with drones drone bees that have genetics that you like .
It's like seeing a field for future crop yields :) I'm likely not making a profound impact, but every little bit helps.
Nope, not tired of hearing about about the HiveLife conference, Fred. Would have liked to have seen some of your presentation etc
Kamon R. will publish the presentations during the first week of February. That's what I'm told. We aren't permitted to post videos of the presentations.
Hi from 🇬🇧 uk
You was talking about replacing fondant what I do is leave the old package on cut a hole in the bottom of the new fondant
And then cut a hole in the top of the old fondant package and put new one on top that works ok for me
Thanks
Thanks for sharing what you do.
I was out wandering in my yard yesterday, looking at the hive activity. Bee's whizzing about. They were bringing in pollen. I followed them to a manzanita tree that had little bell shaped flowers! A winter treat... I also plant broccoli and allow it to flower and they were on that and the lavender. 🙂
I enjoy your videos and learn so much from them.Thank you.
I'm starting my third yr of beekeeping... I have 2 hives...
I'm hoping to learn about and plan to split the stronger of the two. They are currently munching down their Hive Alive fondant. My question is... what do you consider a strong enough hive to split? I'm in Northern California... our cold spell typically breaks at the end of Feb. ( cold here is high 30's F at night, high 40's and 50' in day). At what temps can I safely open my hives?
Thank you Fred.
Hi Cathrine, if I need to open a hive for some reason, a sunny day in the 60's is fine for a quick look-see. When it comes to splitting, I am a fan of walk-away splits - I do a split demonstration in this video at the 36 minute mark - ua-cam.com/video/54BnZI5LHzA/v-deo.html
@Frederick Dunn Thank You!
Kosher for Passover powdered sugar has no additives added.
It usually contains between 2% and 5% of an anti-caking agent - such as corn starch, potato starch or tricalcium phosphate - to absorb moisture, prevent clumping, and improve flow. I don't know about Kosher sugar though :)
Thanks Candace. I've never heard of Kosher sugar before.
Great video Fred as usual, i enjoyed speaking with you briefly at hive life . A question for you ? I have 6 double 8 framers here in eastern ky and i'm happy to report they are looking great , my question is can you over feed the bees in the winter ? i'm currently using Hive Alive fondant and they love this stuff. They are passing up stored honey in supers to munch the fondant.
Rather than calling it overfeeding, maybe consider it simply making the feed available in surplus so they can make their own choices :) This is the way I see that situation, they aren't starving out, so better that they go for the fondant over their own honey stores than facing a dead out in spring. So I don't see a problem with it. Thanks for saying hello at Hive Life :)
I was hoping maybe that at some time I could hear more about the inheritance pattern of Africanised bee aggressiveness? Maybe you have a link to some papers? Is there a graduation of aggressiveness for these mixed genetics bees i.e. the more dna a bee carries from an africanised parent, the more aggressive? Does the gender of the africanised parent make a difference to the level of response from the bee? Does the behaviour of the hivemates influence how responsive a bee is in situational aggression? I know pheromones are used as markers for response by the bees, how different are the pheromones of these africanised bees to normal honey bees? Lots of questions, I know, but I find it very interesting and absorbing.
There are still breeders working with Africanized Bee traits, and trying to continue the beneficial aspects while reducing or eliminating the negative. It's a very involved topic. This is timely, Ross Conrad posted an article in the January 2023 edition of Bee Culture. Page 55. The article is about Varroa Resistant Bees, but he delves into Africanized traits and the challenge in selectively breeding them. This is a huge rabbit hole, and I wish you luck in getting answers.
Even though I am only finishing up my 2nd year of beekeeping, I too, have decided already that OA is all I will be using. The Formic Pro decimated the population of my smaller hive and the stronger hive robbed them out. Seventy pounds of honey sucked up and chewed out in one day. Sadly I did not see what was going on until the second day. A lesson to me look at your hives, even if from a distance, at least once a day if you can.
There are definitely lots of cautionary tales when it comes to using Formic. It works, but many find the die-off to be alarming. Some commercial keepers use it and then requeen every single treated colony. Many risks. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Fred.I think I spread my bees genetics threw swarms.
That's one way to do it :)
Winter is serious,,🇱🇨👍🏼♥️
Good Evening Fred
Any comment on oxalis acid and glycerin sponges? I have been using them for 2 years now and couldn’t be happier with the mite killings and keeping the borrow levels down! Love to hear your comments about it
All I can say is that Randy Oliver is making progress with them, and Dr. Peck from BetterBee gave a great presentation about them. I don't have the permit, so I'm just watching and waiting for the final results.
At Hive life ,your interview with better bee. He said fondant was bad for bees,hard to digest. What was your thought about that,since you moved to the next question fast?
Ok, that's interesting, I didn't interview Better Bee at Hive Life. So, I can't say that I understand this comment. I've never said fondant was bad for bees. If you're talking about Dr. David Peck, I've had frequent conversations with him and we've never discussed the impact of fondant. IF Dr. Peck said fondant was bad for bees, I challenge that given that he sells Hive Alive Fondant. This is a mystery. But I didn't have that conversation with BetterBee at Hive Life.
I wonder if you allowing your bees to produce drones if that's helping them with the mites. They recently found out that with Apis Cerrana the reason the mites strictly only brood in drone cells is bacause worker brood die when a mite goes into worker cells. That was on the Honey Show
The only issue I have with that is, the mites don't remain on the drones as they emerge from their cells. BUT, if you remove drones before emergence as a varroa reduction measure, that has some merrit. In the absence of drones, they find worker bees to be excellent for varroa reproduction. We're talking about different species of bees though. Apis C. definitely manages with mites. Thanks for sharing. :)
@@FrederickDunn and thanks for the info.
Hi Fred. Thanks for the new video. Good info as always! A couple of questions. First, I am looking ahead to build swarm traps for spring and remember that you showed a modular plan using two stacked nuc boxes. I wonder whether you could point me to those videos? Also, here in Oregon we are experiencing fluctuating temps between 38 and 55 degrees. Should I open the hive to feed at this time?
I wouldn't start with liquid feed inside the hive, but if you want to put it out as an open feed opportunity on warm days, those that fly will happily take it back to the hive. The nucleus bait hive is just two 5 frame over 5 frame nucleus hives strapped together, and then another strap or bracked will be used to mount then to the south or southeast side of a tree. If you can put old empty brood comb inside, it will get the attention of the spring scouts. I don't think I did a video specifically about them. They no longer sell the type I used with the entrance hole in the front. You could make you own, or buy two nucleus super boxes and then put them together and install a solid bottom board and migratory cover. www.betterbee.com/hives-and-components/nuc-boxes.asp
Hope you attend next year and give talks again.
If Kamon invites me, I won't say no to that :) Thanks!
Thanks, Fred! You didn't mention if you got one of those nice black aluminum frame holders used for queen insemination for your macro photography.
I did indeed... but should have bought it right there! I had to pay shipping/handling and it's expensive. Again, I just had too much ground to cover in too little time :)
No matter which of your videos I watch it's always cold.
Hey Frederick, I haven’t heard anyone talk about adding supplements to dry sugar in the top round feeder during the winter. What do you suggest adding; patties and fondant lay down sheets have other nutritional ingredients added into them.
I'm a fan of fortified fondant as an emergency resource, when it comes to dry sugar I don't add anything but now favor the fondant over the sugar for winter configurations. The results with the Hive Alive Fondant changed my winter resource management practices after I noted those results.
@@FrederickDunn okay great thank you
Hello Dear Frederick Dunn 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Hello there!
Forgot its Friday!!!
I do that all the time now that I've retired.
The company with the cylindrical hive was IVRY-B
Yes! That's them! I've reached out, and hope we can help them kick that project off. I want one of those hives! Thank you!
@@FrederickDunn absolutely. The design they came up with is awesome for teaching.
@@dravyss They will have my support for sure. :)
Hey Fred, I live in Yardley, PA. Question: can you take a colony that was overwintered in 2 deeps and split it into 2-single deep colonies in the spring? I prefer to have single deep hives because they are easier to manage.
I answered this question in episode 192 :)
Hi Fred. I was checking fondant this afternoon (17-Jan) and I discovered the bees in one hive broke the air-seal around my HiveAlive packet and invaded the insulated top box. I didn't get a visual, but the top box is buzzing loud. I pulled up the upper piece of insulation and bees came right out. It's possible tomorrow may be warm enough to fly here (NH zone 5), so I may lift the insulation to let them fly and hope most find the entrance in front. However, what little bee vac are you suggesting in this Q&A? Thanks
I found that same situation on one hive. I just cut a slit into the top of the fondant pack, so they can get back in through the top, with insulation above that. This way, they can travel back through the pack. They won't build comb in that space this time of year, so not a huge issue. :)
I have a pond, spring fed creek and a lake nearby, do you think I still need to put out water feeders?
Our bees go to the pond also, but, it's also nice to give them options. I look at this way, we don't fail if we offer too much, only if we offer too little. :)
HI Fred
Question: Why wouldn't you put pollen paddies in the spring in our hives, considering that abundance of protein is directly related to the amount of brood, especially in the spring as you need a good population for the May/June nectar flow? I believe you are making a mistake, as that early in spring, March, beginning of /April, pollen is not necessarily abundant, moreover if you are not in a pollen abundant area.
Everyone for their own, I guess....lol.
Wish you the best my friend.
Dan
I don't feed them any pollen patties simply becuase they don't need them. I do understand that some keepers do not have an adequate spring pollen source. To that I say, I'm keeping my bees in harmony with our pollen/nectar cycles and don't have an interest in articially extending that. I'll continue to work with lines of bees that do well here in this environment, and don't require boosting. That doesn't mean that I don't want others to try whatever gets their bees to the level that they personally need. I'm already dealing with swarms when the dandelions bloom, and colonies that expand rapidly. Feeding them anything more than they find in the environment just isn't necessary for me.
@@FrederickDunn I understand Fred, each's beekeeper's area dictates how to Beekeep. Stay warm, be safe. Dan
welcome home,mr dunn
Thank you!
Hi Fred on bee buffet feeder When water gets low in jar and temperature during changes sugar water gets pushed out. Will this feeder hold that and bees not harmed. I no did not explain this well but you no what i mean. Ty
I know what you're referring to, and I expect that it will push syrup out during high temperature changes, the same as any feeder that has a closed air-mass in it. So the key would be to keep it very full, or avoid using it inside a hive during rapid thermal variances. I expect that it will leak considerably when it's more than half empty. Yes, I'm a half empty kind of guy...
Hi Fred 🐝❤🐝 I want to switch my queens to bee weaver. I have 7 hives. What would be the best way to make the change? Im not in a hurry after all I'm a backyard beek. Get one and breed the one while splitting over time? OR should I do the switch at one time get 7 bee weavers and do my splits?
Thanks for all you do
Carolanne
HI Carolanne, I think I'll discuss this topic on Friday. There are others who may be thinking about changing stock like this, so I'll offer a longer explanation. Thank you for asking. There are many options here.
@@FrederickDunn Thanks Fred 🐝❤🐝 Hoping they chew the feet off SHB. They were bad last year for upstate NY Conesus lake. I bought a diffrent type of shb trap for this year to fill with beer 🐝❤😂
🥶🥶🥶
17 degrees this morning :) a great time to sit by the fire :)
Mr Dunn, I was looking for some data as to the temperature of the hive at the bottom of the frames at the level of the opening in winter when it is very cold. Can you help me with this? Thank you.
I watched your video at the Hive Life Conférence and it is the best one out there. Very well done, as usual. 17:03
I just loved your introduction to this video. I just love winter and winter scenes despite the cold. What impressed me the most with the warehouse of products is how when human’s take over something as in this case Bee management, how much stuff they need, compared to what Bees need when on their own.. hummm!🤔
As to the sketch with Mr Ed and the Rooster, found it a little cacophonous..! Big contrast between you wanting serious data and they were just not interested. Very superficial attitude. Sad! Better stick with Dr Seeley, I would think. In Ireland I understand that there is a group that specifically studies Bees in the wild. Maybe someday this will come to America….hopefully! Just a thought!
There are many ongoing studies of honey bees in the wild, following on Dr. Seeley's observations. I enjoy Mr. Ed, and Randy, they are both sitting on data collecting gold mines. If they were closer, I'd be collecting information that very few people would likely be interested in via social media :) Kamon Reynolds will be releasing the official videos of each presentation during the first week of February. Regarding the lower parts of the hives in winter, I've found the slatted rack region and below to be the same as outside temps. Lots of condensation also forms there as that thermal band forms just a few inches below the cluster position. It's pretty clear with thermal imaging. There is a band of condensation that matches the coutour of the cluster, just a few inches below it. Temps drop dramatically below that. This is in hives that have only top insulation, no side insulation. I do not know the temp gradients in hives such as Apimaye, or Layens heavily insulated designs.
@@FrederickDunn Few! Thanks. Well I took the temp, below the cluster at the level of entrance, in an insulated Layens and it was about the same temp(+/-) as the outside temp. It was early morning after after a -17C night. The outside had had a chance to warmup a bit and was about -8C while In the hive it was at. -12C! This just amazes me on how animals survive in winter!
As for Mr Ed and the Rooster well they do a good job at what they do and can’t fault them for keeping it there. But I so wish a person like you would get on the collection of data of these hives. I am sure that someone somewhere will eventually do so. Just heard this morning that a Bee Vaccine has just been approved in the US. That ought to do wanders to the Bees’ natural immune system…???🥴🥴🤔🤔! « We know not what we do »!
Did anyone video your presentation and it is on UA-cam?
Yes, Kamon Reynolds had a professional video team and will make them available in February. We were not permitted to show the presentations on UA-cam as it was part of the program for the Conference. I don't know of anyone who may have posted it.
Are you treating OA 4 times, every 5 days?
I believe it every 5days for 4 treatment to knock mites back. (1 treatment every 5th day for 4 weeks). Then a break. Depending on your location 2 treatment a year might be enough. Warmer climate may have to treat 4 times or more.
ONE treatment, every 5 days, for four cycles IF the mite drop is greatly reduced during the last treatment cycle.
Fred, What OA do you use and where do you get it? I noticed there are many out there that say for wood use. I am looking for a jar compared to a bag. SML BEEs / SWVA
I use api-bioxal. I can't legally say you can use anything else, but this looks good to me: This is produced with the highest standards - amzn.to/3XsaM3P I think sellers of Api-Boxal should revisit the price they are charging, it is pushing keepers to other sources.
@@FrederickDunn Thanks Fred.