> Harry wrote:
>
>         Isle of Wight disease or acarine first appeared in Britain in
> 1904 and killed about 95 percent of the colonies...  It seems a pity
> that we are so compelled to kill off the varroa mite.  Perhaps we
> should just let it take its course.  We might be left with a race of
> varroa resistant bees!
 
I doubt that agriculture is ready for the kind of hit proposed here.
Perhaps, eventually varroa and Apis m. would evolve to a happy
coexistence.  Perhaps varroa would wipe out their new host and itself in
the process, and be left in its original area (that of Apis c.).  The
"natural environment" has been influenced by man to the extent that
Harry's "let it be" proposal is not possible.
 
My biggest varroa hit wiped out 75% of my hives ('95-'96).  I am not
willing or able to endure that again.
 
Aaron Morris - I think, therefore I bee!