Bill Truesdell wrote:

> There is research going on using smoke to get mite drop. The
> combination of screened bottom boards and smoke with 90 to 100%
> mite drop gives a classic, non lethal and fairly benign solution
> to varroa. So, get a smoke that gives near 100% mite drop with no
> harm to the bees in combination with a screened bottom board and
> you have a quick, easy, affordable solution to varroa that
> matches the efficacy of any pesticide.

The one problem that logically comes up, of course, is that smoke treatment, no
matter how well it promotes mite drop, only can affect the small proportion of
mites that happen to be on bees and not within capped cells.  To be certain of
getting all the mites, one would have to to into the hives on a daily basis (for
how many days? 45?) and smoke.  Can you imagine how disruptive this would be to
a hive, to say nothing of how incredibly labor intensive it would be for even a
small operation?

Ted Fischer
Dexter, Michigan USA