Bee Keepers alert

[Maverickpro201]

Good article about bees and mites

Record US Honey Bee Losses and What Mite Be Behind Them | The Epoch Times

[oneshot 1]

17 hours ago, Maverickpro201 said:

Good article about bees and mites

Record US Honey Bee Losses and What Mite Be Behind Them | The Epoch Times

Most have been working on them for awhile. 

Plus so many use chemical sprays that kill Bees and everything even Microbs. 

oneshot 

[jdmidwest]

Mites are like ticks to humans.  Except the tick is 10 times larger and it rears itself in the brood chamber with the bee larva.

Brood breaks are my method of attack to them.  Queenless splits give the hives a few weeks without brood and mite load drops.  I usually get 2 to three years out of a run of bees until something gets them.  I run my hives without any chemicals.  Defeats the purpose of nature's honey when you add chemicals to keep them going.  

They have been breeding stronger bees that seem to bite the mites and kill them off better.  My brood stock was from a keeper that tends to selective breed for that characteristic.

Small Hive Beetles are a mess too, they waste the time of worker and housekeeping bees and cut the productivity of the hive.  Then, if the hive gets weak, they swoop in and foul the hive and ruin it.

 

[BilletHead]

On 8/12/2025 at 6:42 PM, jdmidwest said:

Mites are like ticks to humans.  Except the tick is 10 times larger and it rears itself in the brood chamber with the bee larva.

Brood breaks are my method of attack to them.  Queenless splits give the hives a few weeks without brood and mite load drops.  I usually get 2 to three years out of a run of bees until something gets them.  I run my hives without any chemicals.  Defeats the purpose of nature's honey when you add chemicals to keep them going.  

They have been breeding stronger bees that seem to bite the mites and kill them off better.  My brood stock was from a keeper that tends to selective breed for that characteristic.

Small Hive Beetles are a mess too, they waste the time of worker and housekeeping bees and cut the productivity of the hive.  Then, if the hive gets weak, they swoop in and foul the hive and ruin it.

 

Amen,

   Treatment free for me also. Yes do loose a hive or three. Just part of it. 

[jdmidwest]

Treatment free let's bees take care of problem.  Miticides just make stronger mites.

[BilletHead]

Yessir. IMO bees have a better chance learning to deal with mites.