by Dr. Dewey M. Caron
It’s Survey Time Again!
www.pnwhoneybeesurvey.com/survey
Individuals that monitored for mites had a 27% loss while those who did no monitoring had double that loss. Individuals doing no chemical control measure had nearly double the loss rate of those doing something. Oxalic acid dribble, Apilife Var and Apiguard treatment showed the best survival rates for chemical treatments. Among the non‐chemical treatments, drone brood removal, brood cycle interruption painting hive to reduce drifting were the three options showing best survival rates. The question is what will this spring bring? Take the survey. Your results do count!
In the 2018-2019 beekeeping season, 302 Oregon and 133 Washington backyarder beekeepers participated in the PNW Survey. The survey tool, now in its 12th year, measures honey bee survival/losses with diverse management variables such as feeding, winterizing, sanitation and varroa sampling/control of individual beekeepers. The online survey instrument www.pnwhoneybeesurvey.com/survey will be opened March 15 and will extend through the month of April. It should only take a few minutes to complete. Information requested this year is like previous years. You can download and print a paper copy from the survey site for those who prefer this form over the electronic survey.
Colony loss levels from the Oregon respondents last season were 38% down from the elevated 48% overall loss the previous year. Statewide, respondents had 1,353 fall colonies of which 845 colonies survived to spring; 92% were nucs or eight and ten frame Langstroth hives. Trend line of losses is toward higher losses. The survey asks how many colonies you had last fall compared to this spring in three ways, through hive location, hive types and origination. There are also questions on basic wintering options, varroa control and feeding. In my last annual report I showed things that worked for some individuals. Those feeding dry sugar or pollen patties, or pollen dry had greater survival. Individuals that didn’t do any wintering options had the highest losses, while those who performed four or more of the options had only a 23% overwinter loss. Avoiding moving frames and reducing driving were the two sanitation choices that demonstrated better than average survival statewide for the past three years.
A worker trying to reach her queen, safely ensconced in a queen cage for transport. 
