PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING
Bees/o, Development Journal 92
PLAGUED BY TICKS? OR VARROA MITES? could be a vital contribution to the advancement of science for the
Bérje Svensson, Forsand Kommune, Rogaland, Norway
solution of this big global problem.
control Keywords: Norway, pesticide, Populus tremula, Varroa
Another step for Svein Atle is to try to produce frame bars and hive bodies from aspen timber. Aspen is a fast growing tree that gives a light timber that is very straight and easy to cut.
Svein Atle Jacobsen is a veterinary-surgeon from Hidrasund in Norway. During his long life in veterinary work he has collected different examples according
treated with leaves of aspen trees Populus tremula. He decided to test it of a tick by using sticky tape to put a couple of aspen leaves on top attached to him. Immediately he realised that the cure worked: the tick let
rly
go and disappeared!
NOSSH
of how to use natural herbs for various treatments. He had noted that to folklore medicine, mites on pigs, or ticks on humans can be
A neighbouring beekeeper, Turid Laupstad, complained to Svein Atle about the Varroa problem in her bees. She was frustrated over this new invasion and had little hope for her future beekeeping because in Norway it is forbidden to use pesticides like Apistan. Together they decided to combine their experiences in a mini experiment using aspen leaves for treatment against Varroa.
2007 six hives were arranged: four with treatment, and two as the control without treatment. Bags with fresh aspen wood shavings were nlaced above and below the colony. The idea was for gas from the avings to be circulated through the colony by the bees’ ventilation. The In
results were promising from the start. The dropping of dead Varroa mites on the floor board was higher in the control colonies in 2008, and the with tendency is the same in 2009. This indicates that the infestation Varroa mites in non treated colonies is higher. The mites do not thrive in
colonies with aspen gas. Svein Atle is keen to not draw any early conclusions. He wants to continue observation of Varroa downfall for a few more years. This maybe not the ultimate cure for Varroa, however it
Varroa is a problem for Norwegian beekeepers of all ages
Have you observed any change of Varroa infestation in hives made of different woods or other materials? Please report your observations to
BfD
IMPROVED TOP-BARS *,
Paul Schweitzer
°
Keywords: Africa, Apis mellifera adansonii, Burkina Faso, honey production, top-bar. Burkina Faso Government project in 1987, new western zone of Burkina hoakeeping practices have spread towards the :0 with the use of several types of hives. in the most well-known area there are top-bar hives, Dadant or Langstroth frame hives with supers, and a rectangular shaped hive with a horizontal extension. The two honey or by centrifuge. harvesting techniques used are filtration through sieves, the strength factors on several including is dependent Colony productivity flora and melliferous beekeeping practice. the environment, of the colony, nature the defensive and used of hive the influenced The latter is type by from the of honey production adansonil. of mellifera comparison
Since the start of
Apis
a
A
three hive types: top-bar, frame and rectangular frame hive, showed poor from the honey production from the frame hive and average production also were of use Difficulties hive of two other types (Nombré, 2003). bee of the use technology, hive high frame noted for the
concerning massive exit of bees escapes, hive tools, smoker, and also due to the
through open spaces between frames during harvesting.
The rectangular frame hive provides honey production comparable with that found by Villigres (1987) in Benin. Honeycombs supported at the four sides of the frame are solid and honey extraction can be done with a and intact centrifuge. This makes it possible to have good quality honey therefore hive can This hive. the to returned be can which empty frames be recommended for honey production for a broad scale programme. The
frames are covered by small planks of wood and when one plank is removed during harvest, it leaves four frames and five spaces from which
escaping bees rush out. The top-bar hive is easy to work with because the bars are adjoining. When one bar is removed, the bees leaving from the small space (3 cm) are easy to control. It is therefore practical for the highly defensive tropical bees (Villiares, 1987; Hertz, 1994). The only difficulty could be that honey extraction is done by straining, which may involve loss of honey.
Fully capped honey in a top-bar ee
wie
3SA NOMBRE
Issa Nombré ', Joseph Issaka Boussim
