In message <[log in to unmask]>, Tom Elliott
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>I would agree that colonies surviving and remaining healthy is exactly the
>criterion for success.
Tom,
 The point I am making is that it is not, and this is because there is a
very indirect relationship between mite population and colony mortality.
Some colonies survive very high mite populations, some can not survive
comparatively low populations. You simply can not say that "my colony
has survived therefore it has no mites."
>  In the process of developing such bees monitoring
>representative colonies would be needed.  But, that is only for the purpose
>of study.
Exactly what I am talking about. To measure the efficacy of a Varroa
control there must be a way of assaying the Varroa population; waiting
for the colony to die or not seems a little harsh and does not prove the
point, using a fluvalinate will spoil the trial unless you have loads of
colonies, lots of time and like statistics. The later is the only
indicator I know.
>  Beekeepers only want healthy colonies.
Without doubt.
 
Regards
--
Dave Black
<http://www.guildford.ac.uk/beehive>,
Guildford, GU1 4RN.  UK.