Aaron Morris wrote:

> Regarding Aleksander's proposed experiment to keep highly infested colonies
> with varroa, Peter wrote:
> > Logic states that your suggested experiment would be better
> > conducted in the locations where V.d. has been present over a relatively
> extended
> > period and where acaricide resistance is highly pronounced.

>
>  Hello Aaron and All,

 I remember when Varroa first hit the US. I'm on the west coast so it took a few
years for me to feel the impact . To tell you the truth , I thought it was just
another problem we beekeepers had to deal with using our heads with research.
Good information was slow at coming and chemicals were pushed out in front for
treatment of V.d.
 My position from the start was, chemicals will not work in the long run. It was
too easy to use chemicals , so why go after other fix's.
 Now we have a lot more information on the mite itself. There has been a lot of
good work done by researchers and the USDA  has handed some tools to really work
with this time. The Russian Bee has a chance and good selection and breeding we
may be back on our feet with beekeeping.
I like the idea of turning Varroa against varroa to keep resistant populations
down. There is nature that we can always use if we try to understand how it
works. One can get very deep in the cause and affect side of nature.  We humans
have big heads and egos that get in the way of seeing the natural side of how
everything interacts.We put little parts in box's and explain them to each
other.We feel good and go on finding more ideas  and truths to pass around in
our little circle. ( Humans )  The natural world is so complex that we can only
touch the top of the iceberg. Education is a tool to get more of the iceberg.
But we will never get much more than the top part of that giant piece of
floating ice .The good news is, it is melting some ,so we have a higher
percentage of knowledge. The best thing that we can do is look to nature itself,
watch how it works. Good beekeepers have a real sense of nature. We observe our
bees , but pay attention to all the environmental changes that are going on
around us. (Weather, flowers, water ) Nature will provide the cure for the
varroa problem. We just want to control Varroa our way. If the amber is true and
Apis M. has been around for 30 million years , don't think for a second that she
has not been up against something as bad ,if not worse over its life on earth.

>
>
> This issue of what has the Varroa gene pool become is a big part of the
> overall Varroa problem and a BIG reason that it is so important that
> chemical treatments be abandoned.  As long as the majority of the beekeeping
> industry continues using chemical treatments, Varroa will continue to become
> more resistant to them.  IT'S HOW THE MODEL WORKS!
>

  You hit it right on the head. If we did not have money on the mind, to save
our bees ,we would not have used chemicals .We would have some bees that would
have survived and would be building back at this time. I have used a few things
to try to keep the mites down myself. I lost 100 out of 180 about 5 years ago. I
know what it feels like to have Varroa.



>
>
>
> Truth is, IPM is not as easy as strip in/strip out, but it will work.  Folks
> will argue that IPM is simply too labor intensive for commercial enterprise,
> and I will not argue against them.  The bottom line in that is there is no
> acceptable approved Varroa destructor treatment on today's market that will
> support a viable commercial operation.  NONE!  The chemicals aren't doing it
> folks!  The short-lived band aid chemical solutions are failing miserably.
>  Aaron has hit this  truth very well. The proof is all around us. Beekeepers
> are not getting rich, we are seeing more and more going out of business.
> IPM includes:
>     mechanical controls (drone trapping, sugar dusting, sticky boards, etc)
>     breeding controls (SMR bees, Russian bees), monitoring Varroa levels
>     Formic (and other) acids
>     I' not a convinced/converted 49er, but I won't count it out either.
> FGMO?
>     and yes, IPM includes chemicals controls, but only after monitoring
> shows that the other methods aren't keeping varroa below damaging levels.
>   The bottom line is IPM. I use Russian - Blue line ( I will ad different
> Russian stock this spring) I have ALL of my hives on screens. I pay a lot more
> attention to my bees than in the past. General health is important.

 I had two hives last june with Varroa. I came back 2 weeks later and could not
find any varroa. Plus they are doing very well this winter , without chemicals.
So I know we have something working on our side. I just need all of my hives
like that and I will be keeping bees like the good old days. (before V.d)

Best Regards
Roy Nettlebeck
Tahuya River Apiaries
Tahuya ,Wa.

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