Just a quick update.  I finally was able to try the OA fogger.  Man, what a fast and easy way to treat for varroa!  Took longer to mix up the solution than to treat 11 hives, and even that was really easy.  And, the best part is that I didn't blow myself up.  No burning of equipment, either, although I did scorch a couple of landing boards, when I let the fogger cage touch the wood.  Smelled it right away.  Wore a respirator, although I bought the wrong filters - organic, instead of acid, duh.  Didn't smell any OA, and it was a very windy day today.  Bees seemed unfazed by the treatment - no bearding, no agitation.  Two confirmed fatalities that touched the cage.  Unfortunately, with my travel I won't be able to monitor daily drops.  Will just be able to check every week or so and continue to treat for the next few weeks.  Commercially, one would burn through a lot of the small, blue propane cylinders to treat yards of hives (I used up one on this treatment).  But, I'll bet it could easily be rigged up to a 20 lb. grill tank on wheels or a handcart.

I DID see adult SHB when I opened some of the hives.  It might have been my imagination, but they seemed to be highest in number in the strongest hives, maybe 20 on the inner cover in the worst case.  Hoping for a cold winter this year.  We still haven't had a frost, yet, which is the longest we've gone into fall without one, since I moved to this house in 2003 and to New Hampshire in 1995.

Thanks, again, for all the great comments and discussion on the subject.

Bill
Claremont, NH
New England, US

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