Are there any EAS members on this forum who attended the short course and/or conference at the begining of the month?If so,any feelings you'd like to share.
As for myself,I'm very pleased to see The academics and extension people recommend IPM methods for the beekeeper.I was shocked to hear one say that it was time to get off the
"chemical bandwagon"For years they sounded like sales reps for Bayer.
IPM == Insect & Pest Management
Although I tend to use it thusly sometimes:
Integrated Pest Management
I use the second form of the TLA ( == Three Letter Anagram ... an excellent example of recursion ) when describing *organic* / wholistic (notice I prefer to spell that with a w) methods of pest management, such as planting companion crops, deterent crops and sacrificial crops. Using bee hives to help aleviate other pests that could take advantage of a nectar crop if nothing else where foraging it. Using Hybiscus (at least here in florida), to draw aphids away from other crops, and planting aphid deterent crops (asparagus fern for exmaple) intermingled with the primary crop (basil for example).
Basil is an excellent herb to plant where one wants to enjoy a seat in the out of doors but doesn't want the company of a host of mosquitos. Merely brush with you hand your oppulent crop of basil plantings around your gozebo or patio, and away the mosquitos go. They hate the smell or something.
Plant basil intermingled with your tomatoes. The tomatoes seems to grow better with the basil companion.
Plants conduct warfare in the form of aleopathy. Many plants do well together and others can inhibit each other. Planting the right plants together can boost the health of a crop, and keep certain pest away.
Rodentae hate the smell of marigolds. If you have a small garden that is bothered by squirels or rabbits or some such, surround the garden with an oppulent marigold border.
I have a problem with squirels planting seeds where I don't want them and forgetting about their food stores, and also them digging up seeds and nuts I didn't want them to dig up. Marigolds have helped wonderfully. It doesn't prevent the problem completely, but it sure helps a rodent decide where to try first.
Thank you Scott.
This made me tired just thinking about it.
How many people were in attendance at the EAS?
I would guess 200-300.Hard to tell.Seems to be less of a turnout than last year at Cornell.
IPM=Integrated Pest Management- "the selection,integration,and implementation of pest control based on predicted economic,ecological and socialogical consequences."(Tony Jadczak,Maine State Apiarist, 8/4/03)
For instance,for Varroa:
Monitor mite levels with ether or sugar roll or sticky board drop test.
Determine economic threshhold(ie.point of no recovery)(this is a tough one.Various researchers have come up with different Numbers for different areas.As an example,Hood and Delaplane(Georgia,1998)15-38 mites per 300 bees or 59-187 24 hr drop on sticky board, in late season, warrant chemical treatment.That is one Ihave heard.I have yet to hear a number for my area(CT))
For lesser numbers one can use less drastic treatments.SBBs,drone larvae removal,FGMO,sugar dusting,small cell,brood interuption are a few that come to mind.
IPM also includes better bee breeding.SMR bees carry genetic traits that deter Varroa reproduction but at this time have other undesirable traits.Marl Spivac in Minn.has determined that her hygienic lines can also reduce Varroa populations.The Russian lines also (supposedly) offer some resistance.
IPM tends to be labor intensive.The guy w/1000 hives would have a tough time with this.I'm just a hobbyist who only wants to use chemicals as the (very) last resort.I'm just learning this stuff.Too much info and not enough time.
I wonder if those folks who now have a thousand hives would have started their bees on small cell if they knew about this when they began?
I have six hives this year, starting with two last year.
I'm trying to figure out how to take these six hives (the ones that make it through the winter) and start new colonies on small cell in the spring.
Are there some simple steps to take to begin?
Put away all of your other foundation and buy some 4.9mm wax. Cull combs as you can. In the spring there is always a lot of empty comb that got cleared out for stores. Take it out and put in 4.9mm foundation. There is always frames of all honey and pollen. Pull them and put them above an excluder. Move the capped brood to the outside and add the 4.9mm in the middle so after the brood emerges they will fill it with honey and you can move it above the excluder too. Really if you do this it won't take that long to swap out everything n the hive. Marke everything you put in as "R1" or something to that effect so you know it's the first regression. Keep swapping until it's all R1. Then when you know several cycles of brood have been reared (a couple of months or so from when you got it all to R1) start swapping it again and mark them all R2. When it's all R2 you have most of it swapped. When you are putting drawn comb in he middle of the brood nest always check it to make sure it's about 4.9mm or so (measure across ten cells and divide by ten).
Or do the real shortcut and wax coat the PermaComb and swap it out with the existing comb.
Really, if you just cull combs a lot and use the 4.9mm you'll eventually get there.