Robt Mann asks:

> ... if we artificially restrict the amount of drone
> brood to some arbitrary limit we will limit the varroa population.
> Is this a well-founded hypothesis?

I have not done so (artificially restrict the amount of drone brood to some
arbitrary limit)
so I cannot assuredly say.  But I speculate not.  When fall sets in in these
parts (upstate NY) the bees restrict the amount of drone brood on their own.
At that time, when there simply
isn't enough drone brood to satisfy their hunger, varroa begin to target
worker brood.  A shortage of drone brood does not create a shortage of
varroa.  I suspect there would be a
similar effect (varroa will target worker brood) if drone brood were
artificially restricted.

Aaron Morris - thinking artificially short!