Over medicating??

[patriotgirlie]

As I am eagerly waiting for spring to arrive (and my bees to arrive) I have been doing lots of reading and video watching to try to get prepared for my first hive...and I'm seeing tons of different additives you can put in the sugar water to keep bees healthy.  I've seen the antibiotics that you add twice a year, but then there are other things (Honey B healthy) and I guess I just wondered, what is standard operating procedure for a healthy hive?  Obviously if you have mites of other diseases you then have to treat those, but what is the standard yearly (or bi-yearly) process to keep bees healthy?  Thanks!

[BeeMaster2]

The best way to have healthy bees is to have a Queen with good genetics. Before you buy your bees, find out what the selleruses to keep his bees healthy. What ever he is using, you will probably need. If he has been chemical and drug free then you will probably be able to do the same.
Jim

[Michael Bush]

Everyone has their own ideas.  I guess you need to decide what your beekeeping philosophy is:

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesphilosophy.htm

Assuming your philosophy is that chemicals are good and antibiotics are good, then you can look up what is being used in that regard.  Even what the "experts" recommend changes constantly.  Many of the methods of delivering antibiotics has changes over the years as they realize that the previous method did not work so well.  Now even the scientific research is coming to the conclusion that treating with antibiotics only makes them ore susceptible to the very things you are trying to prevent:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0033188

The biofilm of lactic acid bacteria that naturally lives in a bees gut protects them from AFB, EFB and Nosema and all the preventative treatments for those things destroys that protection.  Essential oils also do (Honey B Healthy etc.).  Sugar syrup disrupts, but doesn't entirely destroy it...

But ignoring that, you might want to consider than Fumidil, the "standard" treatment for Nosema, causes birth defects in mammals and because of this is illegal throughout most of the world.  A bee hive is a food container and we are mammals...

http://www.bushfarms.com/beespests.htm

So, what I do is I don't treat for any of those and let the ecology of the colony and their bee bread and their guts find a natural balance.

[bailey]

I am treatment free here. Been that way from the start. Went foundationless after first 2 years.

Mites aren't a problem for me and my honey is not contaminated with man made stuff.

I'm also a 25 year registered nurse.

Over treating will cause resistance and make the treatment useless eventually.
Better to use genetics than chemicals and antibiotics.

Bailey

[Joe D]

I dissolve a vitamin D tablet in my sugar syrup part of the time.  And I have SHB traps.  So far that's the treatment my bees get.  Good luck




Joe

[patriotgirlie]

Thank you all, for your advice!  I really appreciate your time!

[danno]

Thank you all, for your advice!  I really appreciate your time!

where are you getting your bee's from? 

[patriotgirlie]

spille honey farm in KY

[danno]

Maybe you already know this but the Holland area beekeepers haul in a couple of truckloads of 3#packages, nucs and queens.  I have only got packages from them once but have bought queens a couple of times.  My longest living colony came from them.  It is going on 7 years old and as of last weekend still doing well.    If you need any info on the Holland stuff I have it

[patriotgirlie]

Maybe you already know this but the Holland area beekeepers haul in a couple of truckloads of 3#packages, nucs and queens.  I have only got packages from them once but have bought queens a couple of times.  My longest living colony came from them.  It is going on 7 years old and as of last weekend still doing well.    If you need any info on the Holland stuff I have it

I would love any information that you have.  I have done some searches but didn't have much luck finding things in Michigan.  To know that there are resources that close makes me really excited.  Thanks Danno!

Jamie

[danno]

type Don Lam bees  in you browser and the web site will come up.   They drive to GA, they shack the packages, load them up and drive straight through back to Holland.   Everyone goes to his house and waits for him to pull in.  Its fun!!    A big bee keeping party.  When you get your bee's they have only been out of the mother hive for 24 hours.  If you want bee's from him call him asap.  he only takes prepaid orders

[tefer2]

Jamie, you can also get pkg bees through Dadant in Albion. They come from Olivarez in California
in a climate controlled truck. You have choice of Italian or Carniolan with marked queen.
They are $84.00 and you get $4.00 back when you return the cage. Contact Chris Barnes.

[patriotgirlie]

Thank you both so much for your info.  I have already ordered bees for this year, but I will definitely keep both in mind for next year =)  Can't WAIT until spring!

[Linda32]

The best way to have healthier bees is to have a King with excellent genes. Before you buy your bees, discover out what the selleruses to keep his bees healthier. What ever he is using, you will probably need. If he has been substance and drug-free then you will probably be able to do the same.

[BeeMaster2]

The best way to have healthier bees is to have a King with excellent genes. Before you buy your bees, discover out what the selleruses to keep his bees healthier. What ever he is using, you will probably need. If he has been substance and drug-free then you will probably be able to do the same.

Yes, I agree, sounds familiar.
Jim

[patriotgirlie]

I've read that book too!