QUESTION ABOUT SUCROCIDE

[rphillips1]

Does anyone use sucrocide to medicate ur bees for v.mites. If so how efective is it?--hawk

[heaflaw]

Since no one replied, I will.  I have had between 15 and 20 hives for about 10 years.  I used Apistan until 5 years ago and then started using Sucrocide by spraying between the frames several times a year.  Now I only use Sucrocide if I am combining, etc.  I have very few mites (I test via sugar shake method).  My unscientific opinion is that Sucrocide helped my bees to learn to groom the mites off of each other.  And if you just open the hive and spray lightly between the frames, it's very easy to do.

[TwT]

My unscientific opinion is that Sucrocide helped my bees to learn to groom the mites off of each other. 

so if it works on grooming why not spray water them next time watch them groom, I bought a bottle about 4 years ago  to try and I never even broke the seal on the thing,  if they have to groom to get rid of mites who would want it, its suppose to kill them without having to groom them.

[heaflaw]

TWT:

The goal is to have bees that will groom themselves naturally like Russians are supposed to do to get rid of Varroa.  Then, we won't have to treat them at all with anything ever again.  My humble theory is that spraying with Sucrocide or sugar water will encourage them to get into that habit.  As they are taking the Sucrocide or sugar water off of each other, they will pull off Varroa.  The theory may not be correct, but it is logical.

[TwT]

TWT:

The goal is to have bees that will groom themselves naturally like Russians are supposed to do to get rid of Varroa.  Then, we won't have to treat them at all with anything ever again.  My humble theory is that spraying with Sucrocide or sugar water will encourage them to get into that habit.  As they are taking the Sucrocide or sugar water off of each other, they will pull off Varroa.  The theory may not be correct, but it is logical.

ok let me say this and this is just me, all my hives never see any treatments at all, I have nevereven used chemicals in any way, never done sugar shakes or anything, you will not teach bee's like your post seems like, you will treat or not treat for them to live, its in the bee not you spraying something on them trying to teach them to groom more, you will not succeed teaching bee's to groom more by spraying them with anything , best to try not treating at all and raise from them hives that live like I do and others have done!!!

[heaflaw]

Okay, you are probably correct that my bees became mite resistant the same way yours did: by natural selection or live & let die method or whatever you want to call it.