THE DRUMBEAT CONTINUES

Another article pointing to neonics.  It may be coming down to the question of whether the EPA will ban neonictinoids or whether they cave to industrial agriculture's desire maximize corn and soybean yields.

What I found to be interesting is the overwintering tests referenced in the article.  EDITOR'S NOTE: I didn't notice this article was dated 2014.  The information is still true, just not current.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/are-pesticides-killing-off-honey-bees/

POLLEN GATHERING IN DECEMBER submitted by beekeeper Denise

Blog editors note: The writer of "Keeping Backyard Bees" is in a southern state.  I doubt very much our bees in Wisconsin were out gathering pollen in December.  The only bees I have seen outside the hive are dead ones in the snow that could not get back to the hive during a voiding flight taken on a bright sunshiny day.  However, at the end of this article are some good pointers about checking your hives for the lack of food stores.

Here in the link to read about 'winter' pollen gathering.

http://www.keepingbackyardbees.com/bees-collecting-pollen-in-december/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=01.07.16%20-%20KBB%20eNews&utm_term=KBBees%20eNews

EPA REPORT ON ONE NEONIC

The EPA has issued a report on one specific neonic pesticide which links the pesticide to honey bee declines.  However, to this point other than issuing the reeport they have not taken any further action.  An article summarizing the report can be found via the following link.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/epa-data-confirms-honey-bee-exposure-to-hazardous-pesticides-according-to-beyond-pesticides-300200600.html

Don't think this will solve all your bee problems.  Varroa mites and the vectors (virus', etc.) they carry are probably a bigger issue.

FREE BEEKEEPING SOFTWARE submitted by beekeeper Gerard

Gerard located this free software that permits tracking of various activities you perform on your hives.  Gerard is planning to sign up.  Maybe we can get him to report on the software at the next club meeting.

https://www.beetight.com/?nomobile=1

JANUARY 1ST HIVE CHECK by beekeeper Fred

January 1^st I did a hive check.  The check is simply listening to each hive with a stethoscope.  I have a 1 inch diameter moisture vent hole drilled in the upper brood chamber, so I place the stethoscope on the hole.  Live hives emit a hum or buzz.  Stoney silence lets you know the hive has expired.  For what it’s worth here is the data.  

BACKGROUND:

-I had good survival last winter; 100% as of January 1^st and still at a respectable 83% at April 1^st.

-I am in the process of converting all hives to Russian stock by attrition based on the Russian's purported better tolerance to mites.

-50% of my hives were heavily fed 2/1 sugar water in the fall.

-Many others had a sugar column (modified candy board) added in late November.

-I treated for mites in early September with MAQS, but to three different levels.  Italian and Carniolan hives received the full recommended dose.  Last winter I treated all Russian hives with a 50% dose and had good survival.  This year I thought I would back off a little more and I treated half of the Russian hives with a 50% dose and the other half were left untreated.  I was wondering if the purported Russian attributes are real or hype.

-I do NOT monitor mite levels.  I found the test to be not that accurate.

-I have been tracking the survival of unwrapped versus wrapped hives. Wrapped hives have either a Bee Cozy wrap or are inside buildings.

-My goal, like everyone’s, is to be able to both replace my winter losses and any apiary size increases thru spits and not buy packages every year.

RESULTS TO DATE:

I lost 4 hives in the past 15 days. Total losses since October 1st are 11 of 44 hives.  25%!  Yikes, worse than last year and the winter is warmer and only half over.  But then, I didn't treat for mites in 50% of the Russian hives this year.  

Italian losses are at 25% (even with 100% mite treatment)

Russian losses are at 23% overall (but with no mite treatment or 50% mite treatment).

Carniolan losses are at 100%.   I had just one carni hive going into winter.  

Wrapped vs unwrapped.  

-Both categories have 25% loss.    

MAQS

I did not perform any mite checks.  I just either treated them or did not treat them. 

Italians and Carni's got the full MAQS dose.  Losses to date are 31%.

50% of the Russian hives received a 1/2 dose of MAQS.  Losses to date are 13%.

50% of the Russian hives received no treatment.  Losses to date are 33%.  

Winter Sugar Column (modified candy board)

Lost 5 of 15 hives with the sugar column or a 30% loss rate.

Lost 6 of 29 hives without sugar column or 21% loss rate.

NOTE: None of the hives with the sugar column received fall feeding. 

Fall Feeding

-Lost 4 of 22 that had fall feeding or 19% loss rate.

-Lost 7 of 22 that did not get fall feeding or 32% loss rate. 

Hive Age

Losses were in both 1st and 2nd year hives.  No significant difference noted.

  

Conclusions to date:

-Wrapping makes no difference at this point.  No difference was noted last winter either.  I will not buy any more wraps.

-Fall feeding definitely helped.  Next fall all hives will get fed.

-Russians are doing better than Italians, when the level of mite treatment is factored in.  

-Significantly better Russian survival (87%) when treated with half dose of MAQS versus no treatment (66%).  Next year I will probably treat Russian hives at either the full recommended dose or a 50% level.  I won’t decide on this until spring.

-Russians are not the MAGIC BULLET, but seem to be several steps above package Italians. 

-I need to get some software to analyze the data better and determine if any of the many combinations are statistically significant beyond what is obvious.