North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Deb S <debs913@gmail.com>]

>From David Kline in "Letters from Larksong":

"...I have noted that the only wild bees we are aware of are in black walnut trees.  Our son has had a colony in a black walnut tree by the end of their driveway for seven years onw.   They are doing fine.

Whin in this age of high varroa and tracheal mites infestations are these wild bee colonies doing so well?  There must be something in the wood of live black walnut that controls the mites.  We farmers know that walnut sawdust, if used as bedding, can harm horses' feet and cause msastitis in dairy cows.  Could it kill mites without harming the honeybee?  As an experiment, our son got some fresh black walnut sawdust from his friend's mill and I spread it on the pull-out tray beneath the screened bottom board.  I change it once a month.

The State bee inspector found no mites n our "walnut tree" colony.  Our older hive, where I had just started the walnut treatment a week before his visit, did have varroa mites. "

 p164

And later:

"We lost our two colonies of bees over the winter.  It is largely my fault, at least in losing our old and strong hive.  They simply starved to death.  I was so convinced that the black walnut sawdust treatment for varroa mites would work and carry the bees safely through the winter.  IN fact, it may have contributed to their starvation. The colony was free of mites and stronger than I had thought and thus consumed a lot more honey during the cold months."  p 179

David Kline publishes "Farming" magazine.  If you are not familiar with it, it is a wonderful publication. http://www.farmingmagazine.net/  He is Amish, so one would have to snail mail him for more info.  Electronic or paper subscriptions available to the magazine. Here is some contact info I found for the magazine...I imagine one could get in touch that way for more info 

Farming Magazine

PO Box 85
Mt. Hope, OH 44660
farmingplc@farmingmagazine.net

On Thu, Dec 23, 2010 at 11:31 PM, Deb S <debs913@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Jerry

I'll look up the passage and quote it in the morning...can't remember right off the details.

deb

On Thu, Dec 23, 2010 at 9:58 PM, <Jwlehman@aol.com> wrote:

In a message dated 12/23/2010 1:16:02 PM Eastern Standard Time, debs913@gmail.com writes:

In David Kline's latest book (Letters from Larksong), he experimented with sawdust from walnut trees.  He had a great deal of success....almost too much as the bees over populated the hive.

Deb,

More details please. Juglans regia or nigra? How did he apply the sawdust?

Jerry

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