Some Management Practices
We asked our reporters about some of their management practices this month, expanding it some from the survey we did last year. One note are the changes in nutrition management. Last year, only 84% were feeding sugar syrup, this year 100%. HFCS up from 26 – 38%. But pollen substitute was down 10% from last year and pollen was half of last year. Significant changes in Varroa management, too. Organic acid use down 6%, and half as many are using drone comb trapping this year as last. But we expanded this report this year. Equipment – 73% use 10 frame, but 14% use 8. 11% are using Russian queens this year, a positive number certainly, and 25% are raising all their own queens. Even better. But, still, 18% have to take whatever they can get. Over 50% are getting rid of old comb every 3 years or less, and 41% are testing their bees for Varroa AFTER they have treated. That will improve next year, we hope. Association membership – Local – 68%, regional – 45% and national – 25%. All of those numbers are up from when we last asked this several years ago. Definitely an improvement.
1. Do you ever feed any of these?
Sugar Syrup – 100
High Fructose Corn Syrup – 34
Fondant – 20
Feeding Stimulant – 30
Pollen Substitute – 55
Pollen – 11
2. What IPM do you use for Varroa?
Organic Acids – 54
Essential Oils – 30
Resistant Bees – 32
Drone Comb Removal – 23
3. I belong to what Association?
Local – 68
Regional – 45
National – 25
4. Equipment I use
10-Frame – 73
8-Frame – 14
5-Frame – 30
Top Bar – 4
Warre – 0
Other – 7
5. Queen Replacement
Buy all – 38
Buy some, raise some – 34
Raise all – 18
6. Kinds of queens
Russian – 11
Italian – 64
Carniolan – 61
Local/Survivor – 38
Whatever I can get – 18
Raise my own ‘Best Queens’ – 25
7. I change old comb –
Every year – 9
Every two years – 14
Every three years – 29
When damaged – 7
8. Do you test for Varroa after treating? – 41
% Responding Yes In Red
