I monitor open air wild hives.  There are no chemicals used on a 20
foot high hive on the outside of the limb and it is still alive at the same
site for over 40 years. The beetles hit it 2 years ago in the fall and ate
the brood out.  They were weak but survived the winter with temperatures to
25 degrees F.  Layer of wax will fall to the ground and the bees rebuild.
       Mites build on egg grown queens like any other queen.
       The only difference is the open hives (34 open air hives at one time).
 The ones inside the trees are swarming and too weak to survive long.  The
inside hives with open areas under them are lasting longer.  Hives like in
chimneys or walls with some open distances below the brood frames.
       I have an apiary that I stopped using when the beetles hit it.  The
only hive that survived had a queen extruder under it with no bottom.  It has
three supers of honey on it this year.  No chemicals have been used for 2 1/2
years, only no bottom.
       I am convinced that the design of the hive is the secret.
       Research must be continued on this system of open hive bottoms.
       Michael Housel     Orlando