# Mite Immigration



## djstory (Jan 27, 2005)

How far do your bees need to be from the nearest other beeyard in order to attempt different management techniques successfully. I live in an agricultural area that has many orchards and therefore many different beeyards. Am I doomed to stay on the chemical treadmill or are there management techniques that could produce healthy hives not dependent on chemicals? I would love to try SC techniques, but have no buffer zone between my bees and my neighbors.

Thanks for any advice you can give.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>How far do your bees need to be from the nearest other beeyard in order to attempt different management techniques successfully.

I suppose you just have to try and see what happens. Monitor the 24 hour natural mite drop and see what the trend is. If the numbers start to skyrocket you can put plan "B" into effect.

I don't think you'll have to go to chemicals. I can see that hives around you crashing from Varroa could bring in more mites, but so far on small cell, I haven't seen it happen to any great extent. Maybe it's because they are more hygenic e.g. grooming them off or stopping them at the door. I don't know, but it hasn't been a problem for me.


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## naturebee (Dec 25, 2004)

Don, no buffer sone is needed, I would them in seprate yards.


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