Hi!
        Thanks for all the comments in response to my query about
killing bees. I have used gasoline (petrol) many times and I think it
is fast and safe, if a small quantity is used. However, in an over
regulated country like ours, you are supposed to use approved
pesticides and there aren't any approved for beekeepers to use (that
I know of). Most chemicals require a licensed pesticide applicator.

        In any case, what I was looking for (I guess this was
unclear) was a way of killing mite-infested colonies. In other words,
if one decides not to treat for mites using coumaphos or whatever,
and wishes to halt the spread of mites, killing the colony is a
possible choice.        Unfortunately, the usual methods ruin the
honey, and in the case of gasoline, presuppose the burning of the
equipment. With mites, there is no reason not to extract out the
honey and reuse the hive.

        Normally, when a colony is "no good" one could just dump it
out on the ground and take away the equipment. Of course, with mites,
this would result in driving the mites into neighboring colonies. I
suppose one could vacuum the bees out of the hive and then do away
with them in soapy water...

PB