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Varroa is not the problem. It is the virus. So you can keep Varroa
levels low and call the bee Varroa tolerant, but, if KBV, IAPV or any of
the other variants are there, with just a small added push (winter
cluster, nutrition, dysentery, etc.), the combination of virus and
Varroa will cause bee mortality.
Tracheal mites were well studied by Norma Carriak (sp?) and it was not
the mite that was the problem. It was what was also in the colony.Bees
can handle high mite loads.
Once the bees get the virus, they can spread it without any additional
assist from the mites. It is not the exponential increase in mites but
the increased spread of virus.So you can have high mite loads but no
major losses (look at parts of Canada), or low mite loads (usually after
treatment) with major loss (look at US commercial operations ).
So any exercise in Hawaii may create a "Varroa Tolerant" bee but with no
virus present, you are in a fool's paradise.
Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine
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