One gent says that reusing old comb causes virus and that every year he progressively had more open cells and bees made less honey every year. He claims that the gamma irradation or cleaning your combs in clorox will give u better results or just starting with foundation every year with one deep and an excluder then honey supers, then getting rid of the hives in fall. Im just wondering what the skilled men and women on here think. Chris
I reuse the old comb...
I couldn't imagine not reusing it.
This article made me a little sick. Did you also read how he sells everything and then sleeps well knowing that at least 'his' bees are gonna be alright. How does spreading around (his) suspect (w/ disease?) hives help anyone but him? This is not a beek I want to imitate unless I'm missing something :-\.
This was one of the most disturbing articles I've seen in ABJ. Had to read it over a couple times to get his reasoning because it goes against some of my own thinking, beliefs and beekeeping philosophy.
Xin Loi,
thomas
T Beek i thought the same thing he must be buddies with a package supplier down south :roll: no offense to the southern gents but we all know packages are big business anymore. My philosphy is to try to over winter and somehow get to a point that the bee industry figures out all the problems the bees are having and thats the last thing you need new beeks thinking that this is the right thing to do in my book anyway. I was kinda disapointed to the fact that ABJ would even print the article and kinda wondering why that gent would want to be rid of the bees every fall and restart with fresh comb that takes the bees forever to draw out thus loosing some of the honey crop but what do i know maybe he knows something i dont. You are right i read the article a few times myself in disbelief his mentality is profit not the best interest of the bees if we all sold our bees like that why even keep bees im not about to start a hive from scratch every spring :buttkick: :buttkick: Chris