Peter said:
When I started beekeeping (1981) I used to worry about acarine (and
everything else connected with the health of my bees!) and regularly
dissected bees with symptoms, or from colonies that died in the winter.

I consider testing/treating  one of the keys to my beekeeping success and
lack of testing /treating the main reason for many beekeepers problems.

Granted the tracheal mite & nosema are not a big problem in many areas but
both can cause big problems in certain years.

Those which raise their own queens as Peter does understand their bees
better than those which buy queens from all over like myself.

 I have got two lines of bees which I know very little about as far as their
ability to handle tracheal mites. The Italian line is going into our Midwest
winter untested for TM and untreated. I plan on testing but too late now to
treat. Maybe I will be able to do a better job next season. Unlike Peter I
will worry all winter about those bees!

Thanks for the reply Peter!

Bob

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