Stan Sandler wrote:
 
>> If so, a drone method selects
>> a new mite population with preferring lady bee brood ...
>
>What an interesting observation, Rimantas!  And logically correct.
 
Actually, this is not logically correct - drone trapping should not
select for mites that prefer worker brood, and here's why.  At the time
when one employs the drone trapping method there is plenty of drone
brood available to accommodate (play host to) all the varroa within a
hive.  It is not until late in the season when there is not enough
drone brood to go around that varroa migrate to worker brood.
Presumably when drone trapping, the dynamics of the varroa population
change.  You only select for varroa who prefer worker brood if you let
the dynamics reach that point.  If you're drone trapping right through
the season the mites never reach the point that they are forced to
select their second choice (worker brood).  There is a great article in
this month's ABJ written by Bob Horr dealing with this topic.  Highly
recommended!
 
While I'm on ABJ, Dadant is running a special this month on _The_Hive_
and_the_Honey_Bee_ for $19.95 (regular price is $36).  See the back
cover of the issue.  This is a one month only special.
 
>I wonder if the technique of "trap and release" where the males are
>trapped, sterilized and released to breed would be of any use in
>controlling varroa.
 
No, there is little hope for this method for varroa control.  The male
mites hatch, mate and die within the period that the bee cell is capped.
There's no way to get the males out, sterilized and back in a capped
cell within their life cycle.
 
Good web sites to check out:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jtemp/dronemethod.html
http://aginfo.psu.edu/PSA/ws98/bees2.html
 
Aaron Morris - thinking to defeat 'em you must understand 'em!
 
PS: thinking I don't know my longitude and latitude (sorry Rimantas).