>My conclusion is that MAQS has worked well in the colonies with
"reasonable" mite loads.  In the ones with "whopping" (for lack of a better
scientific term) the treatment was not enough and a 2nd one I thought was
advised.

Karla, this is exactly the sort of decisions that we make.  If mite loads
somehow get high, then it is much more difficult to bring them down to an
acceptable level, since you need a much higher rate of efficacy of kill.  I
have only used formic for a few years, and find it handy to use when there
is honey on the hives still to be extracted.   If not, we are experimenting
between thymol and formic.  And of course an oxalic dribble clean up in
late fall.

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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