VSHBreeders.org: VSH Bee Breeding Forum - All Forums

Alternative Varroa management

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:59:32 -0500

I am soliciting viewpoints from the users of this forum regarding preferred non-chemical treatments against Varroa. Our experiences are that resistant bees reduce, but sometimes do not eliminate, the need for supplemental management against Varroa. My sense is that there are quite a few of you who are small- to moderate-scale breeders, who really would like to avoid applying any chemicals to your bees. And, if you sell queens, the same likely goes for at least some of your customers.

So what do you folks do, or what would you prefer to do, if you have to reduce Varroa loads without chemicals? Some possible supplemental management practices include screen bottom boards, powdered sugar drops and drone trapping.

Finally, what if you have to resort to chemicals to spot-treat for mites? What materials do you prefer?

My inquiry stems from a possibility of doing some research that will look for useful combinations of VSH-based genetic resistance and other Varroa management approaches. If we pursue the research, we would like to examine those management practices that the users of resistant bees prefer.

Bob Danka
USDA Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Laboratory

Peter Schley on YouTube

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:19:25 -0500

Hey Check it out. Peter Schley has a YouTube channel with well produced instructional insemination videos.

http://www.youtube.com/user/PeterSchley

want few queens

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 09:55:06 -0500

hello
I am new to this forum and was wondering how to obtain some queens to add to my stock. these will not be sold but mixed with my stock and checked for traits.
Don

Library/Disk Space Here [split] What do We Really Know About Varroa?

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 06:01:19 -0500

wouldn't it be a good idea to make a library on VSH-breeders??

adam does your website has a storage place??
we could imagine to make different folders containing scientific/genaral paper on VSH, insemination, varroa general, other hygienic behavior etc....

I tried to make this on my dropbox, but I can not share forders (just files...)

Arnold444

Hollywood VP Queens

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:07:12 -0500

Great article from VP Queens and many others on this list!!!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn...ltoafriend

Washington Post Article on VP Queen Bees

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:00:10 -0500

Hello folks,

The Washington Post did an article on us, out today. In the article, Bob Danka and Tom Glenn (forum regulars) were interviewed, as well as Sue Cobey and Marla Spivak.

It's fun to see what actually comes out in press after all the talking to the writer!

Link to the article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/in-s..._local_pop

Adam Finkelstein

Hello from Spain

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:26:59 -0500

Hello from Extremadura, SPAIN

My name is David, and I´m an organic beekeeper…but I ´m getting tired of treatments, ALL treatments, “natural” treatments too.
I run 500 hives, Layens hives in Southwest-Spain.

In Spain, we keep Apis mellifera iberiensis. Our bee comes from north African race, Apis mellifera intermissa (the bee of North Morocco) and is smaller than European race A. mellifera mellifera. About behaviour: quick defence reaction, nervousness on the comb, propensity to swarm and ample use of propolis; not the best bee, you might think, but that´s what we have.

I live in a Mediterranean area: short spring-summer season to gather honey, from March to early June, then, 36-40 º C (from June to October)…like a desert. No honey flow in the fall, only pollen for winter. From March to June, spring flow: dandelion- lavandula- blueweed- retama sphaerocarpa-rubus elmifolius (rosaceae). In summer, eucalyptus.

I´m setting up my own experimtens on free treatment beekeeping and VSH honye bee breeding and selection.

P. David Quesada
DESDE LA PIQUERA
http://www.apiculturabiologica.blogspot.com
facebook: http://facebook.com/pdavid.quesada

hello from Blacksburg, VA

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 18:24:13 -0500

Hi, my name is Richard Reid. I am in the mountains of SW Virginia outside of Blacksburg. I had bees from the early 70s until the mid 90s, and I just got back in to them 3 years ago. I am going into winter this year with 20 colonies and 37 nucs. I've learned more in the last 3 years than I did in the first 20 some.

I have some really good VSH colonies that I got as nucs from the Miles in NC, and some other VSH queens from a couple other sources. I also have a mix of other queens of Buckfast, Carniolan, Russian, Italian, and very nice swarm queens.

I have been doing some grafting the last two years from the VSH, Russian, and strong survivor colonies. My main effort is going into nucs, overwintered nucs, and honey sales. As I have more time I would like to increase my queen rearing. For now I am bringing in queens from outside sources to supplement my own queens.

I look forward to learning more from those that are farther along than I am.

Thanks

2011 Cooperative Breeding project: USDA and VSHBreeder Members

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:21:15 -0500

This past June, VP Queen Bees and ZZ Nature arranged to collaborate with the USDA to utilize some of the germplasm Bob Danka, head of the USDA VSH Bee Breeding program, was making available to bee breeders.

The USDA collected and shipped VSH (POL Line) semen to VP Queen Bees in Frederick, MD. Virgins older then 7 days were waiting to be inseminated. Zelma and Frank Boggess from ZZ Nature in Ripley, WV traveled to Frederick MD with their 7 + day virgins in a nifty traveling hive, holding the virgins caged with attendants in a battery-style enclosure.

The following schedule was implemented. Virgin II in the early eve with a 2nd CO2 treatment for the newly inseminated queens the following noon. Zelma and Frank would then return to WVA to introduce the queens. VP Queen Bees would do the same, introducing the II queens into small nucs in several of their yards around Frederick, MD.

The II and next day CO2 treating went flawlessly. Zelma and Frank left with their inseminated queens. All in all, a very good experience.

Thanks to Bob Danka and Garrett Dodds for providing the Pol Line semen and making germplasm available for testing.

Adam Finkelstein

What do We Really Know About Varroa?

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:05:53 -0400

I've been trying to learn more about varroa. It all started with trying to make sense of mite drops, and thinking about alcohol wash (I did quite a lot of them in my capacity as bee inspector the past few years).

I realize there is a lot of detailed information out there somewhere, but when I went looking for it on the web, all I found was the same old generalities and speculation, plus some downright misinformation. Moreover it seems everyone was reading over one anothers' shoulders.

I found some abstracts, but the studies behind them were available only for a steep fee. After reading some of them, I found they were not worth the time it took to skim them. Others were like gold. For those with contacts, these things are free, but for the public, there is a wall.

Seeing as varroa is central to the theme of this site, would it not be useful to have a central reading list so members could learn to know the enemy better?

I am sure the people who work with varroa daily at the labs know them intimately, and take the details for granted, but for those of us on the outside, I wonder how much we , the beekeepers really know?

Knowledge is power, but I think, speaking for myself, most of us don't have a clue.

I have been chronicling my recent journey at my website http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary

I confess it is a bit embarrassing to reveal my ignorance, and should provide a good laugh for some, but we learn by making mistakes and realizing we don't know, and I am realizing that I really don't understand varroa.

How can I change that?

VSH/Carni Fall 2011 Observations

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:06:23 -0400

Greetings folks,

Pretty quiet in here--I am beginning to wonder if any of you know how to write...

After a couple months watching them, I wanted to update you all on the
VSH/Carni cross we made this Summer where we had virgins available to mate in the Stock Trading forum.

They're looking very good! Frugal, nice, tight cluster, good brood pattern, obviously they've crossed out a bit as they're open-mated, but they still retain the "compact" cluster I like to see with a "Carni" phenotype.

Plenty of obvious VSH behavior: uncapping/recapping and removal of pupae with reproductive mites.

I'll check them again in February and see how they've fared.

Catch you all later...

Adam Finkelstein

Cordovan Traits

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 07:58:35 -0400

Ok, so this is not technically a VSH post, but it is about breeding so i can understand what i am breeding.

This year i bought some cordovan queens. Man what beautiful hives with "blonde" bees everywhere...

So color isnt inportant to me, but it is neat. It also shows me how much drifting i have...LOL

So what i was thinking is can i place cordov. hives at different locations each year (increasingly further or closer) to help find my "mating" distance?

So what i mean is if i place cordov hives at say 1/2 mile, and my queens mate and produce cordov workers at times i will know she mated within 1/2 mile etc. and so forth.

But since a queen mates with many many drones, not every worker will be colored as such, not to mention the drones may not carry the gene.

Is this worth a shot? Is it solid enough to be able to rule out drifting at a larger distance?

Just thinking of things to play with next year...

VSH BEES

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 05:30:21 -0400

Has anyone in the PNW noticed that the VSH bees work at cooler temps than other bee strains. Also do VSH Bees keep a large population to over winter Thanks Johns Bees:

Southeast Missouri beekeeper

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:09:10 -0400

Hello from Southeast Missouri. I've been keeping bees for five years. I've been grafting my own queens for the last two. I admit, I have a strong obsession for honeybee genetics. Should I seek help?

(09-14-2011 09:09 PM)C Stevens Wrote: Hello from Southeast Missouri. I've been keeping bees for five years. I've been grafting my own queens for the last two. I admit, I have a strong obsession with honeybee genetics. Should I seek help?

To treat, or not to treat, that is the question....

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 23:07:15 -0400

I'm wrestling with the question of a treatment free breeding program vs a minimalistic approach. I like to keep healthy, productive bees. Can this be accomplished without treatments? I raise my own queens from VSH/ Hygienic breeders, and cross with feral and other strains I've collected. I can see a survivability improvement already without treatments, compared to queens I'd ordered from some commercial breeders. Have I just dodged the bullet for a year or so, or is this sustainable?

USA and Imported Honey

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:35:22 -0400

Here's a link you might find interesting:

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/08/honey-laundering/

Adam

Irene: Breeders & Queens?

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 19:42:03 -0400

Here's hoping all our Breeders and their work with Queens and colonies are surviving the effects of Irene.

When you get power and get a chance, let us all know if and how the Hurricane/Storm effects impacted you and what survived.

Wishing you well and thinking about your struggles and the ingenuity you had to call on to save your queens and colonies.......

Please share with the rest of us who are wondering.

Do Survivor Bees Show High VSH Levels?

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 09:44:37 -0400

Some queen breeders have mite-tolerant or mite resistant populations from a selection process where they only select survivor colonies to breed from. ("Bond" method--"Live and Let Die").

Has anyone tested these populations for VSH expression? Are there other phenotypic (measurable traits) qualities that might be contributing to the survivability of these colonies?

Adam Finkelstein

Overwintering NUCs

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:38:53 -0400

I live in Southern Maryland and am interested in trying to overwinter a few NUCs. I have new queens in 5 frame (deep) NUCs. Have installed a queen excluder and a second body that the bees are filling and capping. Will pull the excluder this fall and go into the winter with 5 fully capped frames above the cluster.
Am I on track, would appreciate hints from anyone that has experience in this area

Building a Future

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 22:44:42 -0400

This is my fourth year of raising queens using queen mothers from Zia Queenbees, VP Queens and Survivor stock collected locally. Have been happy with incremental reductions in mite loads (I check with sugar rolls), good temperament and sustained honey production. This year traded a couple of mated queens to get back a two year old queen that a beekeeper and close friend cited as a stellar performer with low mite loads and produced over 60lbs of honey each year. Would like to use her for drone production next year. I purchased a Breeder Queen from VP this year in an effort to move a step forward in this queen rearing endeavor.
Reason for the post - I would like to hear from anyone willing to share specific recommendations or suggest areas where I should focus to continue improving the line.