Janet
>If you are experiencing colony vigour while loaded with Varroa, you are very fortunate, and Randy should get your Varroa viruses sampled!<

I don't know about vigour.  I have seen many things that I question but hive death has not been one of them yet.

I have caught swarms (about 5) over a 30 mile area that I believe there are no commercial or migratory beekeepers in.

There are those around that area that have had hives die that I know of though I don't know the reasons for those losses.  I just sold a swarm and two splits to one of those bee keepers.  One of the hives that one of those splits were taken from is now dead and so I did take my eye off the ball for a little too long.

I doubt I send samples to randy to be tested but think that it might have been his testing (not sure though) of the guys bees I mentioned earlier.  That was member squarepeg on bee sources bees that were tested and written about that I read.

I look often but am not always sure of what I am seeing inside the hives at different times due to them being my only experience.  I am mostly internet mentored and have only ever seen one other guys hives so far in my life.

I am in a rural area with the closest town being bout 400 strong.  I do feel lucky so far(knock on wood) when reading others experiences.

I have had much interest in following randy's progress with the shop towels.

My next personal bee test (if they all don't die over winter) is to put some hives 12 miles away from me to a place with more crop and open land then where I have them now to see what difference that may make.  I may never get around to this though cause I have thought about it for two years so far.

If I ever start having problems or decide to run a test to see what difference treating might make in my bees, I will probably start with oa but am trying to keep my ambition at bay cause I don't want to make a job out of my enjoyable retirement hobby.  I have ten extra hives built at this time but find myself glad that they are not full cause I would feel pressure to build ten more for emergency.  I really am interested but also really interested in staying just a hobby bee keeper.

I do try and compare the things I read in places like this to the very small amount of experience I have so far so that I might be adaptable to things that I might eventually run in to with my bee keeping.

I do not claim my bees are special or that I am smart and know what I am seeing and can explain it.  I just know that the bees are not dying "yet" with no special management or treatment for mites and I am happy enough with what they are doing for me.  They have been so much better then my chickens, money and work wise, as far as retirement hobby's go.
Cheers
gww

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