Group Objectives
Treatment Free Beekeepers exists for the promotion, study, and discussion of treatment-free (TF) beekeeping, or promotion, study, and discussion of beekeeping without broaching the topic of treatments. The basic philosophy behind a TF approach is that treating bees for diseases prevents the bees from developing the various genetic adaptations they need to be able to cope on their own. Treatment-free lets diseases run their course in a hive, such that weak colonies die out, and stronger well adapted colonies survive to be multiplied both naturally and as part of normal beekeeping practice. Ultimately varroa and other issues cease to be a problem, and the general population of managed bees become disease tolerant in the same way feral bees are.
Definition of Treatment
Treatment: Anything done in or around the hive, or introduced by the beekeeper into the hive with the intent of killing, repelling, or inhibiting a pest or disease afflicting the bees, or in any way "helping" the bees to survive when they ought to be surviving on their own.
This definition is intentionally very broad and covers mechanical methods, chemicals, herbs, etc.. If you have to ask “Is X a treatment?” then it probably is. Also, don’t ask, check the guidelines. We quite literally do not want to talk about treatments. We are “post-treatment.” Asking if a something is a treatment is talking about treatments, and we don’t like to talk about treatments. We’ve had enough, that’s why this group exists. Any mention of treatments may be deleted. If you really cannot make a good faith adult determination of your own, please ask a moderator directly. Do not post about treatments in the group. If we have been unclear in any way, please send a message to a moderator.
Specific treatments that we do not want to hear about include but are not limited to:
Apiguard (thymol)
Mite-away II (formic acid)
Apistan (fluvalinate)
Sucrocide (sucrose octanoate esters)
Mite-A-Thol (menthol)
Terramycin/Tetra-B (antibiotic)
Tylan (antibiotic)
Gardstar (permethrin)
Fumagilin (antibiotic)
Paramoth (p-dichlorobenzene)
Checkmite (coumaphos)
Oxalic Acid (dicarboxylic acid)
Formic Acid (carboxylic acid)
Mineral Oil (food grade mineral oil, FGMO)
Sugar Dusting (sucrose)
HBH (essential oils of any sort)
MegaBee (diet formula)
Honey Bee Healthy (feeding stimulant)
Bt Aizawai (bacteria)
Thymol (crystals, feed, or fogging)
Essential oils (in general)
Grease patties (Crisco etc.)
Manipulations
Manipulations or equipment that are done/introduced with the intent to "help" the bees survive when they ought to be surviving on their own are considered treatments. However, it may be necessary for freshman beekeepers to perform some of these manipulations as a stop-gap measure in order to have bees to multiply. Therefore these topics are allowed on a limited basis. It is imperative that these only be stop-gap measures though. Every opportunity should be afforded for the bees to survive on their own and to become adapted to the local conditions.
Manipulations and equipment include the following:
Frequent queen replacement
Systematic splitting
Artificial brood breaks (these can be very effective along with splitting for the freshman beekeeper, but the thrust should be splitting, not varroa control)
Drone brood killing (Bee Informed Survey shows this to be ineffective)
Screened Bottom Boards (Bee Informed Survey shows this to be ineffective)
Small Cell Foundation (Foundation is to encourage straight comb for the beekeeper’s benefit)
Feeding:
We generally consider feeding to be "treating against starvation." However, since many freshman beekeepers will be working with bees that are not yet adapted to their area, and may not have sufficient stores due to conditions outside their control, we do occasionally talk about feeding and those conversations are acceptable on a limited basis. Bees are not caged, it is their task in life to store up honey for themselves, they should not need to be fed under normal circumstances.
Feeding includes the following:
Sugar syrup
Dry granulated sugar
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
Pollen substitutes
The equipment that makes up the hive is not a treatment, it is simply the cavity we supply for the bees to occupy.
Equipment:
Hive bodies, wooden, plastic, or otherwise which it is assumed have no direct effect on the pests of the hive
Frames, wooden, plastic or otherwise
Foundation, wax, plastic, or otherwise
Small cell foundation (this is simply an attempt by some beekeepers to return the bees to a more natural cell size, all foundation is by nature unnatural)
Foundationless methods (foundationless methods are also technically unnatural as they happen in a man-made hive)
Frequent replacement of comb/foundation (may be necessary in some chemically saturated areas)
The equipment that makes up the hive is not a treatment unless it does something to kill a pest, like a hive that kills varroa using heat.
All other equipment and manipulations including breeding, inspections, moving hives, catching swarms, requeening, harvesting honey, are simply part of the beekeeping paradigm. That is what beekeeping is. We keep bees, we are beekeepers. Calling someone a “bee haver” is untrue and disrespectful. We as treatment-free beekeepers keep bees as beekeepers, only without treating. That’s what this group is about. All beekeeping topics are welcome, just not treatment topics.
Group Expectations
We have been having a lot of people asking about treatments and then getting their feelings hurt. While to most of us the group title seems pretty self explanatory, it is not necessarily so for everybody.
This is a group for treatment-free beekeepers. Please do not ask how best to treat your bees, if something is a treatment, or in any way quibble about the definition of what a treatment is.
This is not a space to debate treatments.
We will not be talking about treatments except to mention in passing the damage they cause.This includes so-called "soft treatments" and "natural treatments." The group title is “Treatment-Free Beekeepers” and that means that the group is wholly devoted to beekeeping without treatments. This group was created to get away from pro/con debates about treatments. It is for TF beekeepers who wish to promote, study, and discuss beekeeping wholly in a context where they do not encounter a barrage of pro-treating propaganda.
Ultimately, we want this group to be a safe and encouraging place for beekeepers of all backgrounds and levels of experience to feel comfortable asking genuine questions to help them on their path towards TF beekeeping. To that end, do consider how your comments could be construed and follow the general rule “Be Nice”.
Treatment Free Beekeepers exists for the promotion, study, and discussion of treatment-free (TF) beekeeping, or promotion, study, and discussion of beekeeping without broaching the topic of treatments. The basic philosophy behind a TF approach is that treating bees for diseases prevents the bees from developing the various genetic adaptations they need to be able to cope on their own. Treatment-free lets diseases run their course in a hive, such that weak colonies die out, and stronger well adapted colonies survive to be multiplied both naturally and as part of normal beekeeping practice. Ultimately varroa and other issues cease to be a problem, and the general population of managed bees become disease tolerant in the same way feral bees are.
Definition of Treatment
Treatment: Anything done in or around the hive, or introduced by the beekeeper into the hive with the intent of killing, repelling, or inhibiting a pest or disease afflicting the bees, or in any way "helping" the bees to survive when they ought to be surviving on their own.
This definition is intentionally very broad and covers mechanical methods, chemicals, herbs, etc.. If you have to ask “Is X a treatment?” then it probably is. Also, don’t ask, check the guidelines. We quite literally do not want to talk about treatments. We are “post-treatment.” Asking if a something is a treatment is talking about treatments, and we don’t like to talk about treatments. We’ve had enough, that’s why this group exists. Any mention of treatments may be deleted. If you really cannot make a good faith adult determination of your own, please ask a moderator directly. Do not post about treatments in the group. If we have been unclear in any way, please send a message to a moderator.
Specific treatments that we do not want to hear about include but are not limited to:
Apiguard (thymol)
Mite-away II (formic acid)
Apistan (fluvalinate)
Sucrocide (sucrose octanoate esters)
Mite-A-Thol (menthol)
Terramycin/Tetra-B (antibiotic)
Tylan (antibiotic)
Gardstar (permethrin)
Fumagilin (antibiotic)
Paramoth (p-dichlorobenzene)
Checkmite (coumaphos)
Oxalic Acid (dicarboxylic acid)
Formic Acid (carboxylic acid)
Mineral Oil (food grade mineral oil, FGMO)
Sugar Dusting (sucrose)
HBH (essential oils of any sort)
MegaBee (diet formula)
Honey Bee Healthy (feeding stimulant)
Bt Aizawai (bacteria)
Thymol (crystals, feed, or fogging)
Essential oils (in general)
Grease patties (Crisco etc.)
Manipulations
Manipulations or equipment that are done/introduced with the intent to "help" the bees survive when they ought to be surviving on their own are considered treatments. However, it may be necessary for freshman beekeepers to perform some of these manipulations as a stop-gap measure in order to have bees to multiply. Therefore these topics are allowed on a limited basis. It is imperative that these only be stop-gap measures though. Every opportunity should be afforded for the bees to survive on their own and to become adapted to the local conditions.
Manipulations and equipment include the following:
Frequent queen replacement
Systematic splitting
Artificial brood breaks (these can be very effective along with splitting for the freshman beekeeper, but the thrust should be splitting, not varroa control)
Drone brood killing (Bee Informed Survey shows this to be ineffective)
Screened Bottom Boards (Bee Informed Survey shows this to be ineffective)
Small Cell Foundation (Foundation is to encourage straight comb for the beekeeper’s benefit)
Feeding:
We generally consider feeding to be "treating against starvation." However, since many freshman beekeepers will be working with bees that are not yet adapted to their area, and may not have sufficient stores due to conditions outside their control, we do occasionally talk about feeding and those conversations are acceptable on a limited basis. Bees are not caged, it is their task in life to store up honey for themselves, they should not need to be fed under normal circumstances.
Feeding includes the following:
Sugar syrup
Dry granulated sugar
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
Pollen substitutes
The equipment that makes up the hive is not a treatment, it is simply the cavity we supply for the bees to occupy.
Equipment:
Hive bodies, wooden, plastic, or otherwise which it is assumed have no direct effect on the pests of the hive
Frames, wooden, plastic or otherwise
Foundation, wax, plastic, or otherwise
Small cell foundation (this is simply an attempt by some beekeepers to return the bees to a more natural cell size, all foundation is by nature unnatural)
Foundationless methods (foundationless methods are also technically unnatural as they happen in a man-made hive)
Frequent replacement of comb/foundation (may be necessary in some chemically saturated areas)
The equipment that makes up the hive is not a treatment unless it does something to kill a pest, like a hive that kills varroa using heat.
All other equipment and manipulations including breeding, inspections, moving hives, catching swarms, requeening, harvesting honey, are simply part of the beekeeping paradigm. That is what beekeeping is. We keep bees, we are beekeepers. Calling someone a “bee haver” is untrue and disrespectful. We as treatment-free beekeepers keep bees as beekeepers, only without treating. That’s what this group is about. All beekeeping topics are welcome, just not treatment topics.
Group Expectations
We have been having a lot of people asking about treatments and then getting their feelings hurt. While to most of us the group title seems pretty self explanatory, it is not necessarily so for everybody.
This is a group for treatment-free beekeepers. Please do not ask how best to treat your bees, if something is a treatment, or in any way quibble about the definition of what a treatment is.
This is not a space to debate treatments.
We will not be talking about treatments except to mention in passing the damage they cause.This includes so-called "soft treatments" and "natural treatments." The group title is “Treatment-Free Beekeepers” and that means that the group is wholly devoted to beekeeping without treatments. This group was created to get away from pro/con debates about treatments. It is for TF beekeepers who wish to promote, study, and discuss beekeeping wholly in a context where they do not encounter a barrage of pro-treating propaganda.
Ultimately, we want this group to be a safe and encouraging place for beekeepers of all backgrounds and levels of experience to feel comfortable asking genuine questions to help them on their path towards TF beekeeping. To that end, do consider how your comments could be construed and follow the general rule “Be Nice”.
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