Hi Lloyd! And many others I've missed writing from Bee-L,

Lloyd talks of using varroa mite treatments only during the fall vs.
spring&fall.
Taking this one further, I've experienced -reasonable- success with varroa
treatments every other year.

Like George (Imirie) I have great confidence in LATE fall treatments.  You're
treating an area - of brood and bees.  That mass is smallest and tightest during
cluster months.  With the help of an assistant and good markings on your hives
(where the strips are), those strips can be removed in 5 seconds during the cold
days of  December or early January (treatment of Nov-1 thru 15).  The might kill
is so effective I've reduced treatments to every other year.  Varroa kills have
never exceeded 25% (last year with exceptionally long coldspell) and usually run
10% (knock on wood).

This isn't a management techique I would 'necessarily' reccomend for others -
but it saves time and money here given a little flexibily and effort during
December/early January.   The treatment period is effective enough(!) to easily
sustain hive numbers within the apiary.  Less treatment = less cost, less
chemicals, less chemical resistance - though not necessarily less work as you
have to keep a careful eye during the season for hives on the verge of
varroasis.

Matthew Westall
--
     //        Earthling Bees
 >8(())))-     "Take me to your feeder"
     \\        Castle Rock, CO,  USA


Lloyd Spear wrote:

> Jim said "In my view, spring treatments for varroa are useless. Think
> about it - assume you have a single-digit mite fall using
> whatever test method you wish. Since you have no chance
> at all of killing all the mites in spring, you are exchanging one

--
     //        Earthling Bees
 >8(())))-     "Take me to your feeder"
     \\        Castle Rock, CO,  USA