In a message dated 11/02/00 4:35:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, [log in to unmask]
writes:

<< I even called several commercial beekeepers around the country
 who had been reported to have had success with non chemical treatments.  In
 the second and third year of use of their treatment, I was told that they
 had 25-50 percent losses each year.  These losses were as high as would have
 been expected if they had not used any treatment. >>

I completely agree with James- there is little evidence to support that in
North America alternatives such as Varroa resistant stocks, formic acid or
thymol perform as well as Apistan or CheckMite+.  Control is typically lower
and is more variable, so that in the same yard you can have somewhat and poor
control.  That is not to say there is no merit to using alternatives, where
they are registered for use.  I am hearing a great deal of excitement over
integrating less effective treatments with the more powerful synthetic
treatments- the philosophy being to keep mite populations low, for as long as
possible, using 'alternative' and less effective treatments, and hammer the
population down low with Apistan or CheckMite+ when mite populations rise
again- thus using a fraction of the synthetic product annually.     Using
this technique, in theory, less synthetic chemical is put in the colony and
the synthetic 'hammer' stays around, because resistance is slower to develop.
 In Canada many beekeepers have alternated formic acid (which has been
registered for use for some time) and Apistan each year- perhaps giving
Varroa a harder time to evolve resistance- and Apistan continues to perform
well.  The system appears to be far more robust that relying on the same
powerful synthetic year after year.  Why use a sledgehammer when a tap is all
that is needed?
    Also along a line James was talking about- there are only few studies
that can tell beekeepers how effective and cost comparable is an approach
where effective treatments are integrated with powerful synthetic treatments-
I hear many projects underway to do these comparisions and to provide
beekeepers with these answers, however the results may be a year or two off.
Will you save money?  Will you get good mite control?  Will you preserve
these rare and powerful synthetic products longer?  Intuitively yes, but
empirically it is still up in the air.

One WWW site that has a frame devoted to integrated pest management for honey
bee mites and diseases is:

http://www.medivet.ab.ca/medivet/
- go to the menu and select 'Integrated Colony Management'

Regards
Adony