Regarding mite treatments per year: I would suggest at least 4 or more. We 
change up all year long according to temps. 

Oxalic drips, thymol, or formic is applied almost every time a hive is opened. 
Sounds like overkill, but we don't open the hives
all that often; with oxalic drip, we can apply it every ten days in the spring 
when the queen is cranked up and the brood is
hatching every day. 

I'm all about bees breed to hold up to mites too. 

I think we lose some honey by shutting the queen down with treatments, but we 
have strong hives going into winter and good hives to go
to Cal. We make more money in pollination than in honey production.

Bob is right on in my opinion that if a beekeeper keeps the mite count low, the 
viruses will not be such an issue. The rest is easy. 


 Kirk Jones

Sleeping Bear Farms   beekeepers making honey...
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