Dear Stefan
 
>> Can you please give me an account of 12 alternative and effective
>> methods how to keep varroa under control? Can you for each method
>> describe: a- method; b - efficiency in %; c - time consumed for
>> total treatment?
 
>  I) Use of ORGANIC ACIDS:
>  II) Use of MEDICINAL PLANTS (Phytotherapy):
>  III) Use of ESSENTIAL OILS (Aromatherapy):
>  IV) Use of ...bee products (apitherapy):
>  V) Use of drone brood removal
>  VI)  Use of bottom sticky floors
>  VII) Use of wired, mesh, open bottom floors
>  VIII) Artificial swarming + organic acids/aromatherapy treatment
>  IX) Use  of physical methods like: .
>  X) Use of paraffin oil, in external treatment.
>  XI) Genetical breeding
>  XII) Combination of all above  methods...
 
You are covering a wide field of areas. From fairy tails (organic
acids) over wishfull thinking (phytotherapy, aromatherapy) to
corporate bull (genetical breeding ). None of these methods  you
recommend fullfill (today) the most important criterion - efficiency
OVER 93% and minimal time consumption.
 
It's known that everyting below this 93% treshold is worthless. I
explain bellow why.
 
When fighting varroa, two thing are very important and you must be
aware of. Number of varroa in the beehive (can be assumed from the
rate they are falling down without treatment, or you can count
varroa after the first treatment - with deference taken to the
efficiency of the 'formula' you are using) AND the efficiency of the
'formula'/method you use. Both values determine number of treatments
you have to carry out.
 
The 'killing rate' (efficiency) of the method  must be bigger than
varroa population growth (remember: each varroa female can produce
upp to 7 progeny ).  As lesser efficiency of the method you use the
often you have to treat. Already at 90% efficiency you have to treat
at least 3 times. You can estimate yourself how many treatments you
need when using methods you are recommending (some none, some 4%,
some 15%, some 40% etc). If you use a method with 90% efficiency and
treat 3 times, you have around 1 promille of varroa left in the
beehive. If you start with 100 varroa so in that case you probably
have none varroa left,   BUT!!! - if you start with 30000 you have
30 varroa left (if you use Apistan you have the most resistant one
left). It's too many and untill next autumn  (if you treat only at
that time) they will be so many so they kill the bees (besides
breeding resistant varroa).
 
Fighting varroa is not only about usage of most efficient methods.
Fighting varroa is even to know how many they are and keeping the
number down at very low level - WHOLE THE TIME! All beekeepers
should aim at the near to zero level before  wintering. Fighting
varroa is not a single treatment (no matter what kind of method) and
believing - I've done what I should. You must know how many creatures
fell down and from the 'falling rate' estimate how many are they
left. Are they before the wintering to many left (= any), you have to
treat ones extra more. And next time to choose more
efficient/different method.
 
What  kind of  method the beekeeper have to use must be determined by
the demands - near to zero level before wintering, low levels whole
the time. Not by 'green khmeres' or preachers without basic knowledge
what varroa fighting is about. Fighting varroa must not be simplified
to some sort of green ideology/doctrine  (back to the caves).
 
Fighting varroa is not about promoting  fluvalinate or acrinathrine
on one side or promoting essential oils on the other. Fighting varroa
is choosing approach we can rely on (93% treshold) and dumping
science fiction.
 
Each beekeeper have to check how the varroa is rensponsing on the
treatment. No one  knows if your own bees are becoming resistant for
instance to Apistan. No one can or will do the homework for you.
It's rather simple to do. Perhaps beekeepers should change the
'formula' each second year and try to push the resistance into the
future.
 
Conclusions: fightning varroa is a tricky busines with no time for
playing 'russian rulett' with methods with too low efficiency.
 
BTW - your recomendations can be completed with some other methods
(of the same kind you proposed):
 
XIII)  Praying
XIV) Prohibition of varroa existence
XV)  Scaring varroa to death.
XVI)  Calling for a schaman.
 
 
\vov