Jeff Pettis Back to the future Hands off vs intensive management

Humans have kept bees for thousands of years. Before we actually kept beehives we hunted them in the savannahs and forest and then moved towards managing them in hives that we provided. As beekeeping has changed, we left behind in many cases the more rustic forms of hives in favour of movable frame hives. Jeff discusses hive type and management style to try and convince you that indeed you can manage bees in a hands off manor, but indeed this is not for everyone. The pros and cons of various management styles are discussed.

[@Swarmstead]

A perfect case of someone who knows the right thing to do, but treats anyway.

[@pjalcasarin]

I am from the Philippines, its true that if you give little assistance and let Mallifera bees find out solution to fight Varroa on their own they developed this characteristic to become mite resistant and pass to the next generation. Happy beekeeping everyone❤

[@jaysederraugh5954]

I heard that you can't make queens in the Philippines because there are birds that eat the queens on their mating flights. Is this true? Are you mating queens and propagating your own stock there?

[@caven930]

My problem with not feeding bees because it's considered unnatural is that there's nothing natural about keeping bees in a box for your benefit. I think it's your responsibility to feed them back something when you're taking, manipulating, and moving their resources throughout the year. However I do think you should do what you can to limit that supplementation in terms of leaving them as much of their natural resources as possible. Which is going to vary depending on the beekeepers goals.

[@jaxon161]

🤔 'Promo SM'

[@RyanMcDonnough]

I don’t see how varroa is a “northern hemisphere problem”. It is a *genetic* problem. Plenty of southern hemisphere and tropical locations have a problem with varroa…because they manage European honey bees. New Zealand & Australia, for example. It’s the bee genetics in Africa and Central/South America that makes varroa management unnecessary.

[@rstlr01]

My European Honey bees handle mites just fine without treatments in Northern Iowa. Harbo Assay and brutal Selection criteria has led to my success 5 years treatment free. If you spent as much effort selecting the best genetics as treating I bet you to Could reduce your need to treat!

[@RyanMcDonnough]

@@rstlr01
How many beekeepers live near you?
I live in an urban location with many other nearby beekeepers. I can select as much as I want, but that recessive gene simply will not become prevalent. I have zero control over the drones that my virgins mate with. Others have tried. Their breeding/selection program crashed & burned. No control over drones.
I don’t spend very much time applying treatments. It would take far more time to do Harbo assays and instrumentally inseminate with drones from resistant stock. That’s what it would take in my location and that’s what it would take in many if not most locations.

[@glennsnaturalhoney4571]

Didn't discuss the real issue...viruses.

[@andywhite9932]

Lost me at climate change

[@moebees3060]

Yes you are truly lost.

[@Swarmstead]

​@@moebees3060😆😆