Again people are talking about coumaphos, amitraz and fluvalinate.
 
I keep, observe and treat 20+ colonies for 15 years now and as a researcher I am involved in analysis of multi year colony loss data that include mite treatment. For side projects like mite reproduction investigation I see a lot of colonies treated in several ways. I hope I can make some sort of informed judgement. 
 
So, is it me or am I missing something?
 
In the sense that treating with oxalic acid in broodless time windows (artificial swarms, winter, hot summer) is in my opinion enough to get the mite population down. I fail to see the need of more compex compounds in beehives.  Monitor mite numbers, make broodless swarms, spray oxalic on bees, maybe spray/trickle/evaporate oxalic for winter cluster, monitor mite fall or sample bees for mites again to know what is going on. Why does one need compounds like coumaphos? 
 
Of course in the (sub)tropics things are different. But some tropical mellifera really have no Varroa problems. And you can devise a managment style that includes broodless periods in the tropics. 
 
What ARE the advantages of the complex compounds, apart from easyness of application?
 
Lennard

 		 	   		  
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