James Bach wrote:
...

> 10.  Matthew's statement that 80-100 percent of the colonies would die if
> he didn't use mite treatments proves the susceptibility of the bees to
> mites....

I wonder about this.  Are the captured swarms kept in isolation, or are they
moved into a bee yard with other hives?  If the later, it could possibly be
the proximity to other hives that are tipping the scales towards varroa
infestation.  Feral hives I have known are usually isolated enough that
drifting is not a parameter in spreading mites, or at least not as great a
parameter as drifting would be in a beeyard with other hives in much closer
quarters.  It could be that moving a captured feral hive into closer
proximity to other colonies increases the infestation pressure.  It might
not be the susceptibility of feral hives per se, but rather an increased
pressure put upon ANY hives in higher colony population densities.

Comments anyone?

Aaron Morris - I think, therefore I bee!