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Small cell Foundation

920 views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  Gypsi 
#1 ·
I've been away from the bee keeping scene for a large number of years, only because sustaining high winter losses year after year, well it got kind of an expensive hobby. But now, with the grand-kids, I find myself getting a couple of nucs this spring. Years ago when I was doing bees, I didn't hear much about small cell foundation. So without starting an opinion war, is there any value in my starting my nuc out in a brood chamber fitted with small cell foundation. My only reason for doing so is because I read where that is suppose to eliminate the tracheal mite. Then again, further reading shows that might not be true. So what's an old part-time hobby bee keeper to do?
 
#2 ·
Do whatever you are inclined to experiment with. I had my area pretty mite free for a couple of years, courtesy of someone wiping out all pollinators (which is why I got bees) and I got Varroa Sensitive Hygenics. And that worked for quite a while. Then more beekeepers moved in nearby and my varroa levels went up so now I am resigned to treating a couple of times a year.

I have to wear a good respirator, I fog OAV, complicated to mix, takes time to warm the vaporizer up but it works pretty well and takes much less time to do than my OAV heater did.

How to know if you need to treat. do a powdered sugar roll, an alcohol wash, or get a sticky board inside your bottom board (easier on screened bottom boards) and see how many varroa land on it.. since you need to paint a bit of olive oil on the sticky I really prefer to have that UNDER my screened bottom board.

I think our files will cover the powdered sugar roll or alcohol wash.
 
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