Allen said: > Shame! On average, to my eye, things are worse, not better than in 1999 > and much worse than 2002. Quite a bit has been written about tracheal mites and talked about TM on internet discussion lists. Most does not fit what I see. Many researchers (which usually have not done TM research but have read research) say TM infestation is not race specific. I have found just the opposite. With the Russian bees I might only find a couple TM in a fifty bee sample. However my Italian bees always seem to need treatment from time to time. Generally once a year. My NWC rarely were infested but TM were found. Especially in yards mixed with Italians. I have not done a post on TM for awhile but I said for years when the subject comes up it costs me fifty cents a hive to clear a hive of TM and my Italians make a super of honey over all my other lines so for me keeping the lines and treating for TM makes sense. I will say that Dr. Marion Ellis said in a Missouri meeting recent presentation that he asked for beekeepers to send bees with TM for his research and although bees were sent he still was short what he needed for his research. Wondered how big an issue TM was today. I think Eugene Makovec was at the presentation ( I was not) and might remember Marions comments on TM. I rarely find TM when I check at infestation levels ( black trachea and up to a 100 TM in a bee) but when I see numbers growing I treat. Even one black trachea in a fifty bee sample is enough for me to treat. bob *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html Access BEE-L directly at: http://community.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-LSOFTDONATIONS.exe?A0=BEE-L