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Varroa IPM Strategies

Can Robber Screens Reduce Mite Immigration? Part 3

Contents The Effect of Mite Immigration Upon the Efficacy of OAE. 1 Trial B –– A Comparative Trial of Effect of Robber Screens Upon Mite Buildup. 4 Experimental Design. 4 Materials and Methods. 5 Results. 7 Discussion. 10 Next 10 Acknowledgements. 10 Citations and Notes 1 Can Robber Screens Reduce Mite Immigration? Part 3 First...

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Can Robber Screens Reduce Mite Immigration? Part 4

Contents Introduction. 1 Materials and Methods. 1 SIDE NOTE: A Practical Observation. 9 Back to M&M.. 9 Results. 10 Discussion. 13 Next 15 Citations and Notes 16   Can Robbing Screens Reduce Mite Immigration? Part 4 First Published in ABJ October 2024 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com       I’m typing these words freshly returned from presenting...

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Robbing Screens: Part 5–They Don’t Just Affect Robbers

Contents Introduction and Some Scientific Terms 2 Don’t Anthropormorphize Honey Bees 3 An Example of Robbing Without a Fight 4 There’s Little Difference Between Foraging and Robbing. 4 How Robbing Screens or Guards are Presumed to Work. 5 Test 1:  Does Any Exhaust Air Exit Out the Upper Entrance?. 5 Our Findings 6 Test 2: ...

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Robbing Screens: Part 6– De-Anthropomorphizing Robbing

Contents Fact-checking some “common knowledge” about Robbing behavior 1 Anthropomorphizing bee behaviors. 4 There are different types of foragers. 4 Persistence of Memory. 5 How robbing happens –– Step by Step. 6 Importance of Scent 7 Our initial experiments to test the deterrance effect of screens 8 “Guilty” Flight Behavior 13 So is zig-Zag flight...

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Robbing Screens: Part 7–Can They Alone Prevent Robbing?

Contents Experiment #1. 2 Conclusion. 6 Rallying the Troops 7 The Dance Language. 7 Direction. 7 Distance. 8 “Profitability” and Desirability. 8 ODOR. 9 An Amusing Anecdote Regarding Training Bees to A Scent 9 The Purpose of a Robbing Screen. 9 Experiment #2. 10 Results. 12 The Question of Recruitment 13 The Question of Visual...

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A Trial of Some Summer Treatments

Contents Oxalic Strips (OAE) 1 Fig. 1 The bees shifted brood rearing away from the strips. 4 Extended-Release Thymol 4 Conditions During the Trial 7 A Note on Our Mite Wash System.. 8 Results and Discussion. 10 Acknowledgements. 12 Citations and Notes. 12 A Trial of Some Summer Treatments Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in...

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The Shift Toward Bioacaricides

Contents SYNTHETIC MITICIDES. 2 BIOPESTICIDES. 3 PEST RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT. 4 SHIFTING TO “NATURAL” TREATMENTS. 5 MONITORING THE DEGREE OF MITE INFESTATION.. 6 TREATMENT THRESHOLDS. 7 PHYSICAL, MECHANICAL, AND BIOTECHNICAL METHODS. 10 PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER. 13 BIOLOGICALLY RESISTANT STOCK. 14 NOTES AND CITATIONS. 15     The Shift Toward Bioacaricides Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published...

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Selective Breeding for Mite Resistance: Part 1

Contents COLONY COLLAPSE REDUX?. 1 A SIDE NOTE ON RECENT COLONY COLLAPSES. 2 WASTED YEARS. 3 NOVEL HOST-PARASITE RELATIONSHIPS. 3 BREEDING MAY BE SIMPLE, OR MORE COMPLICATED.. 4 SELECTING FOR TOLERANCE OR RESISTANCE?. 4 HOW DOES VARROA’S NATIVE HOST DEAL WITH THE MITE?. 5 SOCIAL APOPTOSIS. 6 RE-EVALUATING SELECTIVE BREEDING STRATEGIES. 6 PROGRAMS SELECTING FOR...

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Selective Breeding for Mite Resistance Part 2: Concepts

Contents LET’S GET REAL. 1 BEES ARE DIFFICULT TO SELECTIVELY BREED! 3 DARWINIAN BLACK BOX SELECTION. 4 IT TAKES A TEAM.. 5 IMAGINE SELECTIVE BREEDING AS A CARD GAME. 7 IT’S A BALANCING ACT. 9 OUR PROGRESS TO DATE. 10 JULY UPDATE. 11 CITATIONS AND NOTES. 12   Selective Breeding for Mite Resistance Part 2:...

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The How and Why of Oxalic Vaporization: Part 1

Contents THE PROCESS OF OXALIC ACID VAPORIZATION.. 2 THE PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF OXALIC ACID VAPORIZATION.. 3 GUN-TYPE VAPORIZERS.. 5 THERMAL DECOMPOSITION OF OXALIC ACID.. 6 WHAT GOES IN, DOESN’T COME OUT!. 6 HOW TO CAPTURE THE VAPOR OUTPUT FOR ANALYSIS?. 9 QUANTIFICATION OF THE ACIDIC OUTPUT VIA TITRATION.. 15 BUYER BEWARE: THE NEED FOR...

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Selective Breeding for Mite Resistance Part 3: The Equipment Required

Contents INTRODUCTION – SOME ARTICLES FROM 2017. 1 MY OBJECTIVE. 2 LET’S PUT TO REST TO A COMMON MISCONCEPTION.. 3 DEVELOPMENT OF THE MITE WASH TECHNIQUE. 3 DEVELOPMENT OF A DEVICE TO DO THOUSANDS OF MITE WASHES. 4 A SYSTEM TO AVOID CONFUSION IN THE FIELD.. 5 DEVELOPMENT OF PORTABLE IN-FIELD AGITATORS. 7 NEXT MONTH.....

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Selective Breeding for Mite Resistance Part 4: How We Do It

Contents NOTE TO OUR COUNTRY’S QUEEN PRODUCERS. 2 IT’S NOT A “ONE AND DONE”. 2 HOW WE DO IT. 2 PICKING OUR QUEENS TO BREED FROM. 3 ELIMINATING UNWANTED ALLELES WHILE MAINTAINING GENETIC DIVERSITY. 4 PROPAGATING OUR BREEDERS. 4 MANAGING OUR DRONE POOL. 5 START THE VARROA RACE! 7 OUR MITE-RESISTANCE ASSAY. 8 FOLLOW UP...

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