Dee Lusby said:
> ...it says to me there is no alternating of treatments between
> apistan and coumaphos... you can only go... harder and harsher.
Is it any surprise that the products sold by large chemical companies
create the same dependence created by addictive drugs, prompting
one to buy more?
Is this "better living through chemistry"?
So, what to do? Until a better practical solution comes along, one
must use whatever is lying about as best one can. One needs:
The Dr. Strangelove / Jackie Chan Tag-Team Approach!
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Alternate using miticides from Dr. Strangelove with non-toxic,
lower tech, "Jackie Chan judo" that exploit basic mite
physiology, rather than trying to poison their metabolisms.
(FGMO fogging and powdered sugar dusting being two good
examples)
Realize that mites surviving a chemical attack will reproduce,
and can breed mites "resistant" to that chemical. If the
chemical is nasty enough, the only survivors are the
"Arnold Schwarzeneggers" of mites, perhaps resistant to
multiple forms of chemical attack, simply because they
are metabolically "tougher".
Realize that mites that survive a purely physiological attack
will not parent future generations that are in any way
resistant to the same physiological attack.
Realize that mite physiology will remain essentially
unchanged no matter what we might do, and even
the "Arnold Schwarzenegger" mites still have the
same basic physiology as all others.
What physiological weaknesses to varroa have?
a) They hang onto bees with tarsal pads that can be clogged
with 10-15 micron particles (FGMO and/or Sugar-dusting).
Clog them, and you have a fallen mite. Add a screened bottom,
and fallen mites are dead mites. Photomicrographic proof
of this is available in ABJ Summer 2000.
b) They have much smaller trachea than bees, and it is claimed
that FGMO fogging can clog mite trachea without harming
bees in the least. (I have seen no photos to prove this, and
am not even sure how such a photo would be created, but
the premise sounds reasonable.)
c) They are claimed to be dislodged when bees "groom" themselves,
but varroa seem to instinctively "know" where to position themselves
where grooming is difficult. (Has anyone ever photographed or
witnessed a bee who dislodged a varroa mite in this manner?)
The situation is similar to trying to eradicate cats while leaving
humans unscathed. Two similar creatures, living in close proximity,
both with very similar metabolisms.
Is it any wonder that a high dose of (metabolic) miticide can kill bees?
Being selective is difficult, but it should be clear that a physiological
approach is less difficult to "target" than a metabolic approach, and
creates less chance of breeding "resistant offspring".
jim
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