>
> > I am referring to formic acid and oxalic acid."  when apistan and
> checkmite came out we were told they had no residual build up as well.  has
> anyone done any studies to prove this.
>

Yes, for both, as well as thymol.

Re treatment free, I commend Dean on his success!  And I also feel that no
one should discuss his book until that person has actually read it, any more
than I like having my articles discussed without having been actually read!

BTW, I've already written a very short book on everything that you need to
know for keeping healthy colonies of bees.  I will post it here in its
entirety:

1.  A dry cavity.
2.  Lots of wildflowers.
3.  Low mite levels.

  There a quite a few recreational beekeepers in my area that are able to
maintain a few hives without treatment, and I see them as the propagators of
future stock (most got their resistant stock from me).  However, most still
experience a degree of losses that would be unacceptable to those paying the
mortgage from bee income.  I sell hundreds of nucs every year to sad-faced
beginners who allow their colonies to die from neglect.

I recommend to all beginners that they monitor mite levels regularly, and
use a "natural" treatment if they see over 5% infestation.  This saves them
from the heartbreak of seeing their charges die an ugly death.  Once they
learn how to  keep healthy bees, then they can sure try treatment-free
beekeeping.

Another thing that I see is location effect.  Stock that thrives without
treatment in one area, crashes quickly from mites in another.  My own home
test yard is death to many potential breeder queens that I bring in from
others.

In answer to Grant's question--when asked, I say that I keep bees without
the use of synthetic miticides.  I do use a few "natural treatments," but am
weaning the bees off them too.  In years when I got too cocky, and withheld
treatments completely, I lost tens of thousands of dollars.

Randy Oliver

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