-----Original Message-----
From: AL <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 06 November 1998 15:56
Subject: Re: Mite losses in July/August
 
 
>Musashi wrote:
, they
>> would most likely have had a lot more drones raised than an ordinary
hive.
>> In that case, since mites reproduce predominantly on drone brood when it
is
>> available, then the drones would have been more affected by the mites
than
>> the workers and the overall hive would have been healthier.
>
>Al then said
>This is an angle I don't fully understand. It runs contrary to a notion
>of mite control in which the *absence* of drones leads to a reduced mite
>population. Absence of drones means absence of mite incubators - or at
>least the mite's preferred incubator.
>(snip)
> now I find myself following a thread that runs contrary
>to that info.
>(Snip)
>. As for me I'm sticking with the
>theory that the best drone population is no drone population - except
>for that one necessary and short lived function. And I'm talking bees
>only:)
>
>AL
>
The absence of drones leading to a reduced mite population derives from the
longer time that drone brood remains in the cell allowing at least one more
varroa mite to mature per female varroa.
 
Because it thus gives them a better increase in numbers, the mites have
eveolved to selct drone brood in preference to worker brood.
 
Because of this, the removal of the drone brood is a well known method of
removing mites from the hive, the drone brood working as a trap. A search
through the archives on " drone traps" would probably give a lot of
information.
 
Ruary Rudd
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