Comments on: Dealing With Varroa Mites In Warre Beehives

By: Nick

Nick — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 16:57:22 +0000

Hi Varsham, sorry I don't have any plans for a bicycle pump powderer, sounds like an interesting idea though. I'm very fortunate in not having too may problems with varroa. Try this link and see if there is anything there that might help: varroa control

By: VARSHAM

VARSHAM — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 08:27:57 +0000

‘noticed the mistake in the last sentence.

By: VARSHAM

VARSHAM — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 04:35:19 +0000

Dear Nick, do You have any disigns or ideas how to connect the bicycle air pump to a powder contaner? What I am trying to do is to lift the hive using my lifter and to apply the powder from the bottom so that the “nursery” gets the treatment.
I had purchased 7 hives and 6 of them died “thanks” to Varroa. To tell the truth I relied too much on the Warre design of the hives and powdered only once which appeared to be not enough. Perhaps, other factors were that the bees I had purchased were extremely gentle Cordovans – “flying worms” or maybe the colony needed time to adjust back to its original comb size. I am trying to find the condition when bees survive without my help or intervention and I open the hive only once in the late spring to take the upper box. Humans have hundreds of diseases, bees have just a few which I can count on my left hand, hence, after 150 million years only the very very strongest have survived. Also, have You heard about a remedy to protect the hive from the electromagnetic radiation from made by humans?

By: Nick

Nick — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:45:12 +0000

Hi George, IMHO the benefits of a powdered sugar shake far outweigh the almost insignificant amount of starch in store bought powdered sugar. I’ve never tried to grind up my own so I can’t comment on that…

By: George

George — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:50:30 +0000

I have read that treating with commercial powdered sugar is not good for the bees because it contains starch. One article even suggested making your own powdered sugar in a blender. Does anyone have any thoughts or experience about this. Thanks.

By: athynz

athynz — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:41:03 +0000

I would like to apply it next season, and i think it would be effective as i thought though its another expense. Thanks for the idea

By: Nick

Nick — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:23:57 +0000

Thanks Bioee, I agree and I do believe that mans constant interference play’s a big role but many conventional beekeepers split their hives which creates the brood break you mention and still have problems with mites. I think there’s more to the Warre that IMHO makes it more mite tolerant (better thermal control, under supering, natural comb) but that, of course, is just my personal opinion.

By: biobee (@biobee)

biobee (@biobee) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:37:00 +0000

I generally concur with David’s comments, but I still see no evidence that Warrés are any more ‘mite tolerant’ than TBHs or other hives, for that matter. If you practice ‘hands-off’ beekeeping and allow bees to swarm, the ensuing brood break will take care of a lot of mites, regardless of the hive used.
Some people have told me that they have had the same colony of bees in a Warré for 5, 6 even 7 years, which ‘proves’ that they tolerate mites, but what is really happening is that their hive swarms most years and re-queens itself in the process, while the mite population takes a dive because of the brood break. Not that there is anything wrong with this – it simply shows that if you do nothing – or virtually nothing – the bees can take care of themselves. It is the constant interference that conventional beekeepers indulge in that does the damage.

By: Nick

Nick — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:10:03 +0000

Thanks for the comments biobee, I don't know about "tolerating more mites" but even David Heaf believes the Warre is more tolerant to mites as per this letter he wrote to the American Bee Journal not too long ago : abj_letter_sep_2011