> Bill, you should run for politics--you sure can put out a convincing
> rationalization for an argument : )
>

As in all things political, the necessary thing is to understand where the
other candidate is coming from.

Your graph floored me and now I understand the disconnect. The mite levels
in your test are so far from my reality that we are talking about two
different worlds. I have never seen an alcohol wash in my hives greater
than four mites. My problem pre-OAV was I treated with whatever (I tried
everything in my quest to see what worked). One constant was every spring I
put a formic acid pad (the 65% variety, home made). I generally ended up in
late July with mite counts of about 4 so then treated in early/mid August
(pre-OAV with MAQS). As with most of us,I thought I was in fat city, but
the two years I used MAQS I would have some winter deaths from Varroa. As
with the multitude I said, "But I treated". It was not until three autumns
ago, when I saw bees dead from virus on the carpet tells I have in front of
my hives, that I treated with OAV and saved the hive. Then it dawned on me
that I needed to treat in October for the influx of bad bees.Also that MAQS
were not enough and OAV was easier and better for the job. (I still marvel
at many hobby beekeepers who use all sorts of treatments all year but save
OAV until the fall/winter (broodless and no supers) and wonder why they
still lose hives)

Your graph has little to do with my yearly reality but only with the end of
year influx of mites

From March until September/October my numbers are usually in the near ten
or less after an OAV treatment, But two years ago, after I witnessed the
Fall "Barbarian Invasion" (great movie), my mite counts went from near zero
several weeks before, to 600 in one hive and 200 in another. I treated and
knocked them down and executed the coup de grace with a near broodless
Thanksgiving treatment. They all came through fine with near zero mites in
March.

So I just do not see your numbers until a couple of weeks in September or
October.. All beekeeping is local, that is a given, but there seems to be a
great divide between the management of mites between the Commercial and
Hobby beekeeping world. Makes sense, because it is easy to keep mites down
with few hives but not so with a gazillion hives, Just miss one and you
have a mite factory which can infect others.

I will restrict myself to talking to other hobby beekeepers since my
methods seem to work there, but obviously would not for a Commercial
Operation.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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