Category Archives: Q & A

Q & A – Barely Surviving Spring

Q – Both of my hives were well until mid-March. One has started to collapse. I am trying to save it but my hopes are not high. As of the end of March, it’s still alive.

A – We find some colonies that barely survive until the spring but then do not recover and die in late spring – We do the survey in April to enable respondents to include this information. If it is too cool or the bees are not heavily fed sugar syrup they can not reverse the decline. The survey was started early this year as the bees started early. You can amend the survey if this colony doesn’t make it and you left an email previously for us to link it with.

Q & A – Treatment Free Studies

Q – Attempted Treatment Free management on half the colonies, lost most of the TF colonies. 245 in fall, 130 in spring = 47% loss

A – Here is the information for the research. This was TF study form Sweden – it took 5 years – with heavy looses each year until  there was (and it is continuing) better survival without treatment for varroa mites: Abstract (Of Bond Method study): An isolated honey bee population (N = 150) was established on the southern tip of Gotland, an island in the Baltic Sea. After infestation with 36 to 89 Varroa destructor mites per colony, they were unmanaged and allowed to swarm. For over six years colonies were monitored for swarming, winter losses, infestation rate in the fall, and bee population size in the spring. Winter mortality rate decreased from 76% and 57% in the third and fourth years, to 13% and 19% in the fifth and sixth years. Swarming rates increased from zero the third field season to 57.1% and 36.4% in the last two years. The mite infestation on adult bees decreased during the last two years, from 0.47% in the third year to 0.19% and 0.22% respectively. Our data suggest that a host-parasite co-adaptation has occurred ensuring survival of both the host and the parasite.Article in Apidologie 2006 by Fries, Imdorf and Rosenkrantz https://www.researchgate.net/publication/42384375_Survival_of_mite_infested_Varroa_destructor_honey_bee_Apis_mellifera_colonies_in_a_Nordic_climate
•   NOTE A recent PLoS one paper (Dec 2018) by Srinivas, Locke, Granberg and de Miranda in their introduction stated this about the Gotland Bond method study bees: The Gotland mite-resistant honeybee population exhibits a number of relevant colony level mite-resistant traits, such as small colony size [29] and reduced mite reproductive success, that together limit the mite population growth relative to mite susceptible colonies [30,31], leading to considerably lower mite infestation rates, especially towards the end of the season [32].One of the more recent findings from this population was a tolerance to DWV, since colonies of the Gotland population survive with high DWV infection levels that are otherwise lethal to mite-susceptible honeybees [32]. Additionally, the Gotland mite-resistant honeybees appear to be resistant to other honeybee-infecting viruses such as Black queen cell virus (BQCV) and Sacbrood virus (SBV), which diminish by several orders of magnitude before the critical wintering phase of the honeybee life cycle https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0206938 [numbers refer to citations]

Q&A – Agricultural sprays & our bees

Q – I live near agriculture, and I suspect sprays are used that are harmful to bees. I wish (our club) and other beekeeping organizations would more actively advocate for organic farming instead of bowing to the chemical industries.

A – Sorry to hear of your heavy losses. The whole topic of agricultural sprays and their effects on our bees is a complex topic. Loses are chronic (bit by bit over time) – not acute (sudden loss) – and it is so difficult to document. When we sample we find on average over 5 pesticides in our bees – but 1/2 are the chemicals beekeepers use inside their be colonies for varroa mite control. I would suggest that you recommend (your club) put topic on their meeting schedule. For back ground information check out the Podcast from Xerces in Portland OR at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMSYKupuI8M. The 2nd in this series will be very specific about pollinating insects

Q&A – cold/snowy loss

Q – I feel that the very cold/snowy Feb-mid March was very hard on my bees. In late Jan, 5/6 were alive and had good food stores. By early March, only 1/6 were alive. Moisture was a problem too.

A – February was cold and wet but March temperatures were averaging 10 degrees below normal until the one nice week we had (3rd week). However for bees, whatever the temperature, the time after they start brood rearing (in January usually) until they have consistent forage conditions (often not until April) is a critical time and we lose too many colonies during this period. March can be a very “cruel” month for bees and their keepers.

Q&A – Local & Screened

Q – The one hive I lost was a package AND had a solid bottom board.  The two I had that lived were local bees (NUCs) and both had screened bottoms.

A – Interesting observation

Q&A – not rehiving

Q – I was very disheartened by the losses to yellow jackets after fighting them all summer and into the fall. I am not rehiving this year from being exhausted with it last year.

A – Sorry to hear you will not be rehiving. Fighting yellow jackets in fall and mites all year is very exhausting.

Q&A – Mason Bees

Q – Have stopped raising honey bees, now raising Mason Bees.

A – Mason bees are good pollinators. Good luck with them.

Q&A – Mite Treatment is ESSENTIAL

Q – Mite Treatment is ESSENTIAL to Beekeeping success!!!!

A – Your comment is RIGHT ON.

Q&A – preliminary numbers

Q – Curious to see the results!

A – Will have preliminary numbers of loss mid-May. With 150 survey returns (from March survey returns) the loss level is running above 50%. Not a good sign.

Q&A – snow/cold temps

Q – Losses due to snow/cold temps in first of March.  Bees were fine up to that time.

A – March temperatures were averaging 10 degrees below normal. However for bees, whatever the temperature, the time after they start brood rearing (in January usually) until they have consistent forage conditions (often not until April) is a critical time and we lose too many colonies during this period. March can be a very “cruel” month for bees and their keepers.