"Bob Harrison" wrote:

> Unless you have got bees which can maintain a varroa load you ARE always
> trying to kill varroa!

There is a difference between 'kill' and attempt total annihilation.  We
know that if there is no virus present then colonies can live with very
large numbers of varroa  - I have seen reports of up to 12,500.  Perhaps if
we had bees that were not susceptible to the viruses then they would be able
to tolerate much greater loads naturally.

> In a breeding program in order to find varroa tolerant hives the best way
is
> to apply varroa pressure. Sadly only a couple of private beekeepers doing
> research do so.

There are very large numbers of beekeepers in Europe using various thymol
based products that do not annihilate all the varroa and therefore apply
varroa pressure.  I am currently in the middle of treating with thymol
crystals as I have done since 1997 - never used strips.

> What did the beekeepers in India do to control the alleged outbreak of TBS
> besides let the virus run its course. Only ten years to get control.
perhaps
> a change in vocation would be in order.

Not alleged - this was TSB in A. cerana.  They bred from the survivors, also
introduced A. mellifera from Northern India and they keep the stingless bee,
Trigona iridipennis (honey is 6 times the price of other honey).  However,
few beekeepers now keep mellifera because cerana is doing well - I have a
figure of 18kg per colony this year.  Given the size of cerana hives and
their ease of handling, this looks a very attractive proposition!

Peter Edwards
[log in to unmask]
www.stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk/

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