Hello all: I have been watching this varroa thread for some time. I read Roys post this morning and got to thinking. Roy is correct we have in the list an ideal vehicle to use for collecting information and helping each other to find the solution to a common problem VARROA. The solution will not be fast in comming, and will have many band-aid fixes (i.e. Apistan) on the way. I have also seen a number of people put in their $.02 and most of my questions and conclusions stem from these items. I am going to setup a folder in my e-mail just for this thread (I hope it goes), because if enough of us gather enough ideas and observations in one place someone (from within this list or without) may make a conclusion which leads to a solution for VARROA. Now for my $.02 for today. Someone in a post a while back said that VARROA was a paracite. They also said that it killed its host (apis m.) and this is not the way for VARROA to best survive as a paracite. I think in Asia where VARROA came from it is a paracite. Apis c. is mite resistant. Also I would believe that there are in Asia some conditions and natural agents which keep VARROA in check. Anywhere there are apis c. VARROA is a paracite. Where there are apis M. it is a predator, because it kills its host. In the western world VARROA has moved so fast because it has no natural enemies. I wonder what keeps VARROA in check in Asia? It would seem that if we knew what controlled VARROA in Asia we would be better off. Is there anyone out there who might be closer to this info. than we are? Maby the Aussies or the New Zelanders might have a line. I have heard from a lot of places but not much from Natal and South Africa. What is VARROA doing down there? Thank you Jeffrey