Comments on: Top 5 Reasons Not to Treat Your Bees With Chemicals https://www.keepingbackyardbees.com/top-5-reasons-not-to-treat-your-bees-with-chemicals/ Fri, 19 Feb 2021 14:40:10 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 By: Beth https://www.keepingbackyardbees.com/top-5-reasons-not-to-treat-your-bees-with-chemicals/#comment-126987 Fri, 19 Feb 2021 14:40:10 +0000 http://www.keepingbackyardbees.com/?p=3497#comment-126987 Thanks for this article. I am also treatment free, and have been since we started years ago. We are not commercial beekeepers and I see no reason why backyard beekeepers can’t stay treatment free. There are always those that claim “you’re a mite bomb” or “people use antibiotics” and when they do, it’s so clear that they really don’t understand how a hive works. Bees are not individuals but the hive as a whole is a superorganism. All treating really does in the long run is make stronger mites and viruses. If the bees are going to die from not being treated, then they will. We are trying to help the bees, not create chemical dependent bees. No one is treating feral bees – and yet they survive and thrive without treatments. Mimic what they do in the wild and your bees will survive and thrive also. Use brood breaks, make splits, do proper management techniques. Breed better and stronger bees that don’t need chemical intervention. Most of those who are against being treatment free do so out of fear, and I can understand that if you are relying on bees for your livelihood. But for those of us who don’t, try it.

]]> By: Robert Thomas https://www.keepingbackyardbees.com/top-5-reasons-not-to-treat-your-bees-with-chemicals/#comment-110915 Sun, 26 Jul 2020 14:19:29 +0000 http://www.keepingbackyardbees.com/?p=3497#comment-110915 Ok. you are treatment free. Next spring you new queen flies to a DCA 3 to 5 miles away. She breeds with 10 drones from treated colonies. What have you accomplished ? The civil was soldiers died from infection. We discovered antibiotics. did we say no, no. The longer we dont use antibiotics the sooner we will develope our own resistance to bacteria.

The bedkeeping world would be decimated without treating. Yes, be smart. Rotate treatments. try the MMTT. Try brood breaks now and then and dont be afraid to alcohol wash test for effectiveness.

]]> By: Laura https://www.keepingbackyardbees.com/top-5-reasons-not-to-treat-your-bees-with-chemicals/#comment-75626 Thu, 24 May 2018 19:37:51 +0000 http://www.keepingbackyardbees.com/?p=3497#comment-75626 You reference Randy Oliver’s article, but it is 11 years old. A lot has changed since then. More up-to-date research and references would give more cred to your opinions.

]]>