Didn't mean to bee cryptic but trying to keep it short. Ted Fischer asked for some details: I melt the wax over boiling water, measure it, then add equal amounts of similarly heated mineral oil. Occasionally the proportion ends up a little more or less. At hive temperatures (current ambient temps here in SC most days), it cools to an opaque, stiff texture somewhere between vaseline and peanut butter. It can be spread cool by hand (watch for splinters)or with a hive tool, but it is easier to use a paint brush while it's melted to get a quick, thorough, coat on an empty hive. I have used melted wax in the hive but very carefully and it takes time to find spots bare of bees. It hardens fairly quickly, so if I'm painting several boxes and bottom boards I hold it over the hot water or in a wide mouth thermos. Obviously this is impractical for thousands of hives. It can form a skin which I have watched mites crawl on but their little legs build up glop boots and they bog down and die fairly soon. I think they may get mineral oil into their spiracles (if that is the correct anatomy) because they die pretty quickly (minutes). I keep notes on mite #'s in hives each time but have not compiled the data. I'm afraid it might be miscontrued as a scientific sample when it's merely observational. Only in the last month have I found any mites in workers and I've rarely found more than 1 mite. In drone cells 1 mite in 10 cells is not uncommon, and I have occasionally found 1 to 4 in 30% of drone cells, especially when I didn't replace the glop befroe it had all worn off. Any time I find over 10% single mites in drone brood or multiple mites per cell I have tried to pick out or paint glop on as many drone cells as I can. The exception is when one of my hives that appears to have good genetics (check back in a decade or two) has drone cells and I suspect a mating may be needed soon (swarm season or supercessions pending. (I buy queens too). Then I've moved the brood near a glopped wall if possible and smeared cool glop on the frame wood as close as possible to the brood. I also catch live drones as I see them and check them for mites. Those proportions are usually about double or more the brood proportion (mite presence that is, there is rarely more than 1 mite/ adult). Again, the sample #'s are not consistent or controlled for location, glop timing varies (I work full time plus home business and farm), etc. Bill Truesdell's comment on the 3-4 year cycling, which I also have deduced from the list (thank you all), is one reason I haven't reported before now. I do not consider the battle won and this is only one of a hopefully increasing number of methods available, especially to us little guys, for our Integrated Pest Management Programs. For those who use Apistan (I don't knock that at all, just am too chemical sensitive even with pyerethroids) it may help when the honey supers are on. Keep up the comments and the good work. Love this list!!!