Breeding for Varroa Resistant Honey Bees Day 1 / Beekeeping 101 #beekeeping #beekeeping101

This is day 1 of my BeeFit breeding program to breed and select for bees with varroa resistance. It's going to be a long journey but you've gotta start somewhere. :)

@beefit_em on Instagram and TikTok

beekeeping, beekeeping 101, varroa mite, breeding bees, alcohol wash, treatment free

[Darkshizumaru]

Always a fun time when storms roll in while you're trying to do something. Your videos are always very informative and I love how you tell everyone where you get the details of what you did so they can find it too. ^_^

[allsmilz]

Thanks for sharing quality information with great narrative. Youre a real Sweetheart Emily 💜👍

[tydavis]

I really like the hive data sheets that you use. I was hoping to see where you got it to try and get a copy.

[lasource]

Am doing something similar to you. Am also not stoping treatment. But what I found a good aproach is to take records of the survivers and breed from those mothers that had all their daughters also survive the winter. That way I know that line is rebust.

[brucesbees]

Wow. Great video Emily. Interesting to see the results of your testing. Looks like treating worked.

[hoopnfarm]

I don’t know if you’ve watched any of Randy Oliver’s lectures on YouTube he’s actually a beekeeper local to me here in California but his lectures are so informative and he’s striving for the same. Resistant bees.
I really want to be treatment free I just started definitely with the wishful thinking of being able to be treatment free. I bought a nuc from a beekeeper about an hour from me. During in my last hive inspection I found mites, on my queen even. I was feeling sad about it because with treatment free I should just let them be. But that goes against my instincts on my farm, I try to stay organic but it something in my care needs more I will do it. Your videos has really helped me decide to keep my hive alive and treat the mites. They are a clean friendly hive with a young queen who has been laying great. They keep the bottom board very clean and they have been taking caps off bad brood. I think they are worth saving and working with. Hoping to catch some swarms from wild hives here near my house and start working with those genetics next spring ❤️ sorry for the long response. 😆 I’m happy to have found you at this point. I think we are both working towards the same goal!!

[dcsblessedbees]

I am trying a similar path just from a little different perspective and a little slower speed lol. I grew up on a farm so I look at my bees a little more like live stock then you might. I respect your opinion on treatment/treatment free and look forward to following you on your beekeeping path. So for me I believe a major key is genetic diversity and ample types food sources. I feel that along with continuing light treatments, honey bees would over come most any of the obstacle against them given time.I kind of look at it as it's not my job to do the job for them but a little help is welcome. I am real interested in the tests being done atm with AO over time strips/sponges. There was a new hygienic test a gall/scientist back on the east coast has come up with that is spray based. It uses the pheromones of sick brood or something like that it was a very interesting watch. Sorry I can't recall who/what or where, maybe "Fred Dunn" could have been "Inside the Hive" I have watched many videos over the last 6 or 7 months. You could do your might washes and use those numbers to base your VSH testing program off of. Just because a hive has high mites doesn't mean they aren't hygienic. Mite bombs, thats what other videos I saw called when the mites are around ya. opps sorry got long sorry I seem to do that lol. Hay you have a great day sorry I couldn't remember that new tests Dr.'s name.Ty for sharing your time, Blessed Days.

[WingnutJSL]

Great video's you are doing a good job explaining what is going on and you seem like a nice person. keep them coming. I have four hives in cathedral top bar hives for about 4 years and this year was 56lbs of honey so far.

[victorkulynycz]

Newbee here, thought threshold for treatment was 3 mites per 100 bees, 1/2 cup bees is somewhere around 300 bees so you said were testing 1 cup of bees that would be around 600 bees. My math is bad but your 8 or 9 mites per test divided by 6 is just over 1 per 100 which is great I thought. And the 1 to 3 counts would be less than 1/2 mite per 100 bees which is outstanding. I also did the dawn dush soap wash on 1/2 cup bees on 4 of my hives that were swarm caught this year. I also left bees in wash for several minutes up to 15 to 20 while did hive check and shook jar pretty good. My counts so far were 1, 2, 8 and 33. Going to treat the 33 with Formic Pro soon as daytime high temps go below 85 here in Maryland for 4 or 5 days in a row. Enjoy your videos and learning much in my first year of beekeeping.

[PancakeInvaders]

The video "Selecting for Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH) in honey bees" by Stevensbeeco is very thorough and information packed. It's a several watch video for sure. There are several good treatment free VSH breeders in the US, vpqueenbees, stevensbeeco, beeweaver, and several others. I don't know if that's a possibility for you, but if you were to get a vsh queen from a few of them and show the differences between the offsprings, that would be extremely interesting to follow. I'd do it myself but it turns out that international delivery of queens (US to europe) is not a thing

[billc]

Im going to suggest this winter after you put your bees away for the winter you sit down and write a plan of how youre going to manage your bees in detail and with honesty. Remembering all cost that will occur. This plan will take weeks if not months to finish but it will make your adventure in bee keeping so much easier with less stress as spring, summer and fall comes. Shooting from the hip only works for people with years of experience. Keep bringing new video I love your enthusiasm.

[MrBeachbums]

I have a terrible time logging detailed notes about each of my hives. My problem is "how do I make notes when I am fully suited up and have honey and propolis and wax and gunk all over my gloves?" I have tried making notes but its a big, mucky mess. I have tried a small digital recorder and it gets totally covered with bee gunk. So, could you share with us how you manage to get your detailed notes about each hive from the apiary to a notebook?

[troysilver]

So if the queen cell is chewed up on the side it means you have a queen and it was wrecked by the workers?

[daverowden-RowdyBeeFarms]

Im in the middle of the dearth here in Arkansas and I need to do exactly what your doing What part of the country are your hives in? Thanks for video like always

[hootervillehoneybees]

What part of Michigan you from?? I'm in northern Oakland county ortonville

[TennesseeTim]

Greg Burns video of alcohol wash vs blue dawn wash is a real head scratcher!!! To get that big of a difference pulling from the same sample for both. Your bees are looking good though!

[daleb]

Couple questions, are your formic sachets open? I saw the inside pad in a shot. My understanding is the outer material regulates the dosage. Also it has been my understanding you shouldn't manage your colonies during formic pro treatment.

Colony 5, why out of the program? Because of swarms? You said you hadn't managed in a month, that's a management issue not a genetic issue. Empty frames aren't space, it takes a lot to draw out the frames and if there's already not enough room they'll swarm.

[carolannjacques]

I am waiting for it to cool off around here before I treat. I have never tried the bee wash, maybe I'll try it in a couple of weeks! I made a big newbee mistake when taking 2 frames to harvest....one of them had brood in it! It looked like beautiful white capped honey to me....

[stevenkawano]

Wowzers glad u got outta there when u did⛈️Looks like u guys have been getting some bad weather lately u bee Safe out there my friend👍Another Great video Crazy the bees can Smell the pupi and then go destroy it thats Amazing! Also I had no idea u could do Beekeeping without a suit🤯For them to be That calm is crazy but thats Rad I Hope u get them to that point that would be a sight to see! Plus it would save ur ankles and ur neck some pain too😱😉😂Well Hope u got home safe and sound and got to get some much Deserved r and r, Definitely see U in the next one my Favorite

[raymondrobinson]

I have access to a bee tree which has had bees for the last 30 years in it. I plan on trying to catch a swam form it. I also have had a colony in my house over 5 years now. They're, I believe is from the tree also. Plus another 5 year plus survival colony within the half acre radii of said tree in a barn. Also none of the said hives have been treated for mites. I might get some kicking butt bees!