Hi All It is a sad day for what is about to happen in Ireland because of Varroa. It is a sad day for the world when the only way to solve a problem is to kill off the host. Some, I suppose, feel that this will take care of the situation and it will temporarily. Unfortunately this action only puts on the "band-aid" but doesn't cure the wound. All beekeepers throughout the world know when something is wrong with their hives, when the bees start dropping like flies. Sometimes there is panic in the streets, in such as to say, brake out the hoses and wash everything away, then all will be well. Then there are those individuals will stand up and figure out how to find an answer or at the least, find a control. The sad part to this problem, is the population of the world as a whole, doesn't know or understand what the real problem is and could care less. Not realizing what will happen when the food they eat every day, will slowly disappear. There are some of us who know a little on what to do and there are some who may know more, of course there are those who know it all. But the real problem we face, as the keepers of bees, is how eradicate that little bug altogether. We do not have the funds that it would take to do the studies required. This is where education of the masses in every country of the world, has to be a must, in order to have the monies from the people to save us all from the hunger that is sure to come. We are on top of the problem because we work with it. Then it stands to reason, don't it?, that we as a group, have to open our mouths to all that will listen. In most countries of the world, the people control their goverments. For this mite is a world problem and it will not go away any time soon. Sorry for the long post. Joe McManus Bremerton,WA. USA <[log in to unmask]> Tel 360-698-0104 > I daresay that some of the older beekeepers will lose heart which is a pity.