Randy asked:

> Can anyone point me toward a reference that tells whether varroa becomes a
> problem in managed cerana colonies when they are kept in numbers in an
> apiary, rather than a few scattered colonies?

I do not know about China, but have met many beekeepers who keep cerana in 
Kerala and Tamil Nadu - one had 24,000 colonies which he migrates from Tamil 
Nadu to Northern Kerala each year to work rubber; he then migrates gradually 
south again following the flow.

No-one reported any problems with varroa and cerana.  This was in sharp 
contrast to the few beekeepers with mellifera (ligustica), whose colonies 
were heavily infested and struggling.

Best wishes
Peter Edwards
beekeepers at stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk
www.stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk/

*******************************************************
* Search the BEE-L archives at:                       *
* http://listserv.albany.edu:8080/cgi-bin/wa?S1=bee-l *
*******************************************************