On  9 Jan 97 at 5:59, James Morton wrote: Re: comb-trapping
 
> Europe, and properly carried out can remove up to 90% of mites from a
> colony. It is not necessary to use drone comb in the comb-cage, and if you
> do you tend to find the queen does not lay properly. Worker comb is much
> better; the important thing is that the only young brood available to mites
> wishing to reproducein in the trap combs during the month or so the method
> is in use.
 
Surely not! The whole premise for adding drone brood foundation, and using
that, is because Varroa prefer drone cells. Therefore the mature Varroa will be
drawn to the open drone cells, when sealed, they are removed from the
hive. Perhaps someone could explain how we are breeding for mites when
they are not allowed to mature to adulthood.
        On my original post I asked for someone to calculate (who knows the
Varroa breeding cycle) the space between the two cycles of adding two
frames at intervals to hit breeding maturity.
 
Further on this thread. Dr. Pedro Rodriguez wrote.
 
> In my experience, attempting to control mites in a
>fashion as explained  above is not a control method, but in fact a
>propagation method since it  gives the mites every opportunity to gain
>control of that colony where  they are given a "free pass" to breed.
>snip<
>largely diminished rate! Add to that the fact that mites escape the cells
>where they are bred before the host bee emerges. Result: a mite breeding
>program. In all sincerity, I hope that any concientious beekeeper engaged
>in the practice mentioned above, will discontinue it.  To quote an old
>proverb: "two wrongs do not make a right." Varroa mites are bad critters.
>To give them the opportunity to propagate is bad!
 
If I may be so bold. This method is not a breeding program. The idea is to
attract *already mature* adults which are ready to breed. I reiterate,
when the cell is sealed it is removed from the hive.
        Surely the breeding cycle is, mature adults move into breeding cells,
immature Varroa are *released* from the cell when the host emerges, they
then attach themselves to a bee, and move from bee to bee until they
mature. At which time the cycle repeats.
        This is a discussion group! Comments!
 
 
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