# Intergrated Pest management.....



## hipbee (Sep 11, 2009)

I have started hives with all SC foundation, and Hives with all 1" started strips, they all had the same amount of drones.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Right on Ted! It is determining thresholds too. Three Varroa mites in a hive does not warrant tenting and fumigating the house. IPM is treating with the softest treatment that is effective. Keeping hives in full sun reduced our small hive beetles. I did not need to damage my queens with Checkmite+ or anything else unnatural.


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## Omie (Nov 10, 2009)

I think the Cornell Dyce Lab master Beekeeper site has a really clear definition and a good overview of what IPM is:
http://www.masterbeekeeper.org/B_files/ipm.htm

Also, not trying to be picky but if folks are Googling/searching it they will get best results by spelling it correctly:
*integrated*, not intergrated.


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

For the back yard beekeeper, I don't know if there are any cons. We paractice IPM & have only used PS, & honey bee healthy as a treatment in our hives 3 years now. We also use mann lake sc frames.
Might add drone frame removal to you're list.
Last year 7 of 7 made it through our mild winter, no snow this year, just freezing nights.

For the commercial guy some of it might be too much trouble


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

Some of the integrated--( spelling correction)--practices are not practical for commercial beekeeping. Small cell is not practical, unless you started out as a small cell operation at the time you started beekeeping. Simple things like chemical rotation using soft miticides. As mention by America's, putting hives in full sun to control beetles. Painting those hives a darker color that are placed in full sun will also help control both tracheal and varroa mites due to a slight increase in temperature inside the hive. Proper Ventilation to keep excess moisture down will control a myriad of problems that can develope inside a colony that is too wet. Screened partial pallets help with ventilation, mites and American Foulbrood. Resistant stock with Smr or Vhs traits or non resistant stock that is extremely productive fits nicely into the integrated managment system. These are some of the simple things that commercial beeks do that do not take a lot of effort or time in a busy schedule. TED


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## Stonefly7 (Nov 3, 2005)

Exactly, how about some commercial's chiming in. I can run 100 to 300 and do as KQ says, because I have "TIME". When you step to 1K to 3K, you barely have time to get something on, to prevent losses. You can't "checkerboard", you barely have time to rotate boxes, throw a deep on, give em a week to move up, break it off, add a queen, and move on! Then hurry back and start supering, for the next two weeks.

Also you must think of cost x 2K for whatever you choose. I spoke to a lady today who runs 1700. She has time for one guy to open the lid, one to spray a mix of sugarwater/HBH, and another to come by and close. Every two years a miticide is applied for insurance. She also does drops to see how it goes. To much to lose?

Just thinking outloud.


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

Stonefly, I just got even more tired just reading about the 1-3 k catagory. That is why commercials like me have to anticipate what a colony of bees that I might be working on will look like three weeks later.Who was the lady that runs 1700 colonies??? She is not stashed out in some back woods part of Alabama?? The honey beer is out of this world. Where can I buy it at?? TED


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## Stonefly7 (Nov 3, 2005)

Hey Ted, 

No, she's not in AL, mostly MS. Has unlimited access to HBH at wholesale lots, but that's another story. Glad ya liked the beer! My old boss has been a homebrew master for many years, and wanted to try some Honey Lager, so I gave him some honey. You tasted the results. He's going to enter it into some contest of sorts.

He is mighty pleased with the taste and flavor. I will give him a couple more gallons, and get us a few cases. I will bring you more beer Saturday, we can throw several hundred supers and then enjoy a cold beer under the shade tree.

Sound like a plan?


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

Sounds like a plan to me. Call me When you are headed this way for certain. TED


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## PDG honey (Jul 31, 2010)

Hey Ted. Can't wait to see more of your hives. Like Mr. Russell has taught me it is best to always rotate treatments. What I've learned and seen that small cell doesn't work. It's not the size of the hole its the drones cells. It is the time it takes a drone to develope. Mites love this as you already know. We have drone comb and proper bee space in all of our hives to keep down bur comb. As you Know we are using thyme and oregano oil this year. This treatment has wiped out all mite counts in his and his students study hives. His Untreated queen yards I've never seen one mite in any of them. He has some great bees. His greatest treatment ever has been his genetics. Of course they were all study hives one time or another.


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

When are you headed back this way??? TED


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## TWall (May 19, 2010)

Ted,

You mentioned partial screened pallets and rotating miticides. Do you use any other IPM practices? I'm curious about what a commercial beek takes the time to do. Do you do mite counts? If so, how many hives per yard and how often?

I have the time to it all right now. But, I'd rather not start doing something just because I have the time. I'm a creature of habit and learned a long time ago the easiest bad habit to quit is the one you never start!

Tom


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

Use the best possible stock whether it is resistant or non resistant. That means bringing in new genetics to keep from inbreeding. Inbreeding weakens the line and makes it more easily succumb to mites and disease. Also the use of 5.4 foundation. No natural comb!! Foundation cuts down on the number of drones reared, thus the number of mites will be lower in a colony since mites prefer drone brood. Maintaining strong colonies is a must. Placing them in full sun ,which warms up the colonies with UV rays. Thus raising the temperature inside the hive which makes it not desirable for beetles and mites to reproduce. We sometimes count mites. The last mite count was done by the State of Alabama under the direction of the USDA. We have .94 mites to the hundred. Some hives have none that can be detected. Just plain good beekeeping will eleminate most of the problems in a beeyard. That means keeping your beeyards free from old busted bee equipment and your honey house clean!! TED


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## Stonefly7 (Nov 3, 2005)

Just checking to see if anyone running 300+ would like to share any valuable IPM practices or new ideas that work for them in managing their colony's. I know a bunch of you are running many hives, and managing those hives the best way you see fit. Please share.

I will envite ya down to taste the best honey lager known to man!

Kind regards


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

One of my best IPM techniques is that the dead colonies are no longer harbors for pests. And they also give me a chance to check for AFB scale. I love deadouts. I need the empty equipment in the spring anyway.

I imagine this soundfs like a flippant answer, but it isn't. These days bees are going to die at higher rates than BM (before mites), often, no matter what we do. Ands often, sometimes usually, I can't tell why.

And I am not alone in that boat. Two Januarys ago, in Orlando, FL, the ABF Conference was titled "Keeping the Hive Alive", but mostly what I heard was that they were dying, but not why.

So, nothing new. Make sure the equipment is filled up before going North to pollination and summer honey production.


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

Stonefly7 said:


> I will envite ya down to taste the best honey lager known to man!


Is it homebrew? If so, please post the recipe in the Homebrew forum.


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## Stonefly7 (Nov 3, 2005)

Mark,

Why do we keep hunting empty equip in the spring? I for one fail to purchase enough woodenware in the winter. This is going to be a good production year, hoping to overwinter lots of splits. By the by, I found a excellent source for woodenware in west TN. High quality and beats everyone. Ya have to drive over in the flat bed to save shipping, but worth it. Ill PM ya. 

When your manageing that many hives time is of essence. We do the best we can. I like TK's idea about rotating miticides. Ready this year. 

Barry,

Yes its home brew, the best you have ever tasted. Has a kick, but the flavor in tremendous. Never looked at the homebrew section, will take a gander.

Kind regards


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## ginn68 (Apr 14, 2010)

PDG:

Do you care to share the recipe for the Oregano oil treatment. Sounds like something I would like to rotate in.


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

Michael, I can answer that for him... he is stuck on the cleanup crew this shift... three Droppers of pure oil of oregano, two Droppers of Red Thyme Oil mixed vigorously into five gallons of 1:1 syrup. This is fed in early spring with the hopes that it will be stored and used to feed brood before any flow starts up... then again in late fall, right after the fall flow... as with anything, its best to use it in rotation, never more than one year in 3.

You may want to check out alpha's recipe... the one I gave you is very weak, but seems to be quite effective on colonies that have never encountered it and have low mite counts already.


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

Stonefly7 said:


> By the by, I found a excellent source for woodenware in west TN. High quality and beats everyone. Ya have to drive over in the flat bed to save shipping, but worth it. Ill PM ya.


You have my attention! Lol. I would like to be in on that little jewel!


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Small cell is not practical, unless you started out as a small cell operation at the time you started beekeeping. 

If you follow recommended procedures and swap out 20% of your comb every year you'd be small cell in five years no matter how you started out.


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## ginn68 (Apr 14, 2010)

Thanka Robert. 
I will check our alphas recipe also. Went lazy this year. Used hbh with 5 drops of tea tee oil. Like you mentioned, the trick is getting the oil to mix with the syrup.


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

Small cell is cost prohibitive for a larger operation to change over to. The benefit of doing so is dubious at best. TK


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

http://www.mannlakeltd.com/ProductDetail.asp?idproduct=2120&idCategory=

In bulk it's much cheaper. The savings on building frames alone would be huge. Acceptance is better than Pierco and it's cheaper. And in five years you'd be done.

>The benefit of doing so is dubious at best.

It succeeded beyond my wildest expectations.


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

Micheal I buy bulk. You are talking about 8000 frames a year for five years. With a 360 man hour labor cost per year building the new equipment not counting the time to swap the frame out of the hives. Not counting the fact that these employees could be doing something else beneficial for the bees. It is a 100,000 dollar plus expenditure for the five years that you propose on a "fringe" management technique that has been debunked by four university studies. My work with Bill Gafford, under the direction of Dee pretty well proved that mite control was not acheived, all we got were smaller mites. So my point stands--If a beekeeper just wants to be different for difference sake, then he will have to start out small cell for day one of his beekeeping career. It is 20000+ dollars a year that I will not spend but will spend on some other means to maintain a healthy operation. Whether that be a new bee truck, new stock from Robert Russell, new natural soft mite control or a new hired hand. TK


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