Aaron Morris wrote:
 
> With the drone trapping method, entire frames
> of drone brood are removed along with the population of varroa infesting
> the drone brood.  Timed properly, at the time in the season when there
> are ample drone pupae to attract the majority of varroa mites, removing
> the infested drone brood will keep the varroa population in check such
> that they stay at low enough levels to keep them from infesting worker
> brood.  Removing the varroa along with drone brood leaves few mites
> remaining in the hive to get into worker brood.  Hives won't collapse
> sooner, varroa populations will be kept in check throughout the honey
> production season and when drone brood is no longer present due to
> seasonal flux, the varroa population won't have reached the levels
> needed to bring down a hive in the time remaining before honey supers
> are pulled and chemical treatments are used.
>
 
This brings up something I've been wondering about:  Does anyone know
what it is that attracts varroa to drone brood, or have ideas about
possibilities?  If so, it might be possible to make varroa-attractant
traps that would accomplish the same thing as drone trapping, without
actually having to wipe out the drone pupae to do it.
 
Tim Eisele
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