Varroa is not the problem. It is the virus. So you can keep Varroa 
levels low and call the bee Varroa tolerant, but, if KBV, IAPV or any of 
the other variants are there, with just a small added push (winter 
cluster, nutrition, dysentery, etc.), the combination of virus and 
Varroa will cause bee mortality.

Tracheal mites were well studied by Norma Carriak (sp?) and it was not 
the mite that was the problem. It was what was also in the colony.Bees 
can handle high mite loads.

Once the bees get the virus, they can spread it without any additional 
assist from the mites.  It is not the exponential increase in mites but 
the increased spread of virus.So you can have high mite loads but no 
major losses (look at parts of Canada), or low mite loads (usually after 
treatment) with major loss (look at US commercial operations ).

So any exercise in Hawaii may create a "Varroa Tolerant" bee but with no 
virus present, you are in a fool's paradise.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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