Do you use Icing Sugar as part of your IPM?

[Jon]

Time to start the unnatural beekeeper movement madasafish!

Will soon be time to hear the news from the non treaters who will claim that their bees have died again from ABV (anything but varroa)

[The Drone Ranger]

I hadn't heard about the strings method
How do you make them

[Dark Bee]

There was a well known beekeeper here about 10 years ago, who used to advocate "fogging" with liquid parrafin as a means of dealing with varroa. When it became obvious that this was slightly less effective than pouring a cup of cold tea into the hive, the treatment was supplemented by using strings soaked in something or other; a waste of string. I believe the treatment originated with a gentleman named Rodrigeuz - should anyone wish to investigate further.
However strings soaked in a different substance may work very well, it could be an effective means of introducing a volatile treatment into the hive.

[gavin]

..... than pouring a cup of cold tea into the hive ....

Now there's an idea!

[gavin]

So just wondering what other people's thoughts around it are.

When I've spoken to local groups I sometimes end up chatting to beginners who have lost their bees overwinter despite feeding. It is always instructive to ask what their Varroa treatments were. Some places are better than others at giving good advice on this - may explain some of the east-west differences in my view.

If there is an effect of regular dowsing with powdered sugar it may be via the reduction in colony vigour which by itself will slow a Varroa build-up.

[Phil Moss]

Beermats would be better than strings, specially if you get to drink the beer!

[The Drone Ranger]

I was just wondering how the thymol and wax strings were made
Sugar is messy stuff and most people think its not very effective.

Now beer, that has possibilities, I could see me setting off to the hives with a few cold ones.

[Neils]

When I've spoken to local groups I sometimes end up chatting to beginners who have lost their bees overwinter despite feeding. It is always instructive to ask what their Varroa treatments were. Some places are better than others at giving good advice on this - may explain some of the east-west differences in my view.

If there is an effect of regular dowsing with powdered sugar it may be via the reduction in colony vigour which by itself will slow a Varroa build-up.

I feel there's a wider question/point here.

If, as an individual beekeeper, someone feels that icing sugar and, presumably, an OMF is enough as an IPM, then fine. But I think discussion over advice given by associations to [new] Beekeepers, or even what a beekeeper considers an IPM scheme to be, belongs in another thread.

I'm not trying to "thread cop", but I was interested specifically in icing sugar and what people, as Beekeepers thought about its use.

[The Drone Ranger]

Hi Neils

To answer the icing sugar question
I think its a bit like homeopathy its clearly rubbish but if you believe it works you feel better

[gavin]

I'm with DR but would add ....

.... until you lose your bees, then any feel good factor reverses.

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