Robert MacKimmie wrote:

> Mites seem to be appearing in spades in a number of my hives. Our nectar
> flow can linger into October and I have a maximum of supers on right now.
>
> Can anyone share their strategy about when and how to deal with varroa when
> they show up at this time of year. If I wait until the nectar flow is over
> several months from now, will I have any bees left?

A few questions first -  Where do you live, and when have you last treated
with Apistan?  What is the extent of the infestation - do you see mites when
pulling drone brood, on the bottom boards, or when doing the ether roll - and
how many mites are you seeing?  Do you see deformed bees crawling around on
the ground in the hive vicinity?

The answer to your last question, if you have lots of mites as well as
deformed bees, is no - the colony will not last into the fall even if it is of
extra large size now.  You must make the decision on whether to extract what
you have in the supers now, put in Apistan or (gasp, Check-Mite) strips, or
whether to let them go until the end, extract everything and plan on starting
up anew next year with new queens and splits or packages.  It is really not an
easy decision.

Ted Fischer
Dexter, Michigan USA