# Treatment Free Steps



## jbraun (Nov 13, 2013)

My "Treatment" of choice last year was to do summer splits. I have a lot of local swarm collected colonies and although I don't check for varroa counts, I believe this to be a good IPM choice. Like one person said I'm treatment free until I'm not.


----------



## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

Treatment Free Steps; 

1 Start with treatment free bees or queens
2 Don't treat
3 Monitor


----------



## cristianNiculae (Jul 2, 2013)

jbraun said:


> My "Treatment" of choice last year was to do summer splits. I have a lot of local swarm collected colonies and although I don't check for varroa counts, I believe this to be a good IPM choice. Like one person said I'm treatment free until I'm not.


I did the same last year but it didn't work quite smooth. The previous winter being very mild, brood started early and varroa multiplied by the ton. I had 40% losses this winter. Luckily this year went very nice so far. No need to feed and the colonies built up quite nicely. I only treat once in Autumn - oxalic dribble.

I'm curious about the mite numbers in August for this year.


I forgot to mention that the losses were in fact losses since September  They went weak into winter and succumbed in late February.


----------



## Solomon Parker (Dec 21, 2002)

Treatment Free Steps (from experience):

you must not treat. 
you must multiply your hives.
you must allow sick hives to die (or kill the queens yourself). 
you must multiply from the surviving hives. If there are no surviving hives, you must start over.
you must repeat the process for at least two to three years before you reach a sustainable population.


----------

