Bob Harrison wrote: "The moving of hives when bees are flying to lose
the old workers has little to do with varroa control ...."

Again going back to my recollection that Diana Sammataro recommended
moving hives during the day in the fall to lose foragers was directly
related to tracheal mite control (not Varroa control as is being
discussed).  The goal was to lose the older bees, which harbor most of
the tracheal mites, thereby leaving a relatively mite-free environment
for the winter bees.  It is winter time when bees are confined and bee
populations remain small that is most taxing on honeybees as regards
tracheal mite (Acarpis woodi) pressure.  I do not recall if Diana made
the remommendation in _The_Beekeepers_Handbook_ (Sammataro and
Avitabile) or if I heard the recommendation in person.  Diana used to
have a vanity license plate, ACARAPIS when she was in New York (I don't
know is she still has the license plate in Arizona).  Incidently, Diana
is speaking at the fall meeting of the Empire State Honey Producers
Association in Syracuse, NY on November 10 and 11, as is Allen Dick (for
those who've missed Allen on BEE-L).  Details avaibable at:
http://eshpa.org/event_1.htm (blatant plug).

Regardless, the recommendation of moving hives during the day in the
fall to lose foragers is not as unheard of as many seem to think.

Aaron Morris - I think, therefore I bee!

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