Barry,
We have always had pseudoscorpions and this includes prior
to mites arriving. 

You know it is strange in a way. First to control mites we
started first regression down in size and got thru trachael
mites, then along came varroa. During this time dadant 900
come on the market and much was said about this approach
then

Next came so-called AHBs and it was said it wasn't the
comb, nor management style it was the so-called AHBs.

Now of course it is being broadened with pseudoscorpions,
for a SC/wholebee way of maintaining is what? 

I have never seen the pseudoscorpions except around the top
covers/inner covers and bottom boards, like I see the
various ants in both places. 

So while we are at it let's say ants are helping too! and
probably more for I see more ants then pseudoscorpions. I
also see more small lizzards on the bottom boards and they
are eating something, so let's then include them. And let's
not forget spiders in and out both big and small.

So what does this mean then? 

Well, written in Pests, Predators and Diseases you have
many mutual relationships in and around and within a
beehive. You learn to work with this and hence no
treatments of any kind, no artificial feeding of any kind,
and placement of bees on to combs within the natural
spectrum of sizing, of which 4.9mm is in the center. We use
SC 4.9mm top tolerance foundation that we handmake without
the cells walls by the way, so our bees can since they are
sized down already so many years go slightly bigger or
slightly smaller individually by hive. And yes we work with
acclimitized bees, that were worked back up from bottoming
out at 104 from roughly 1,000 in shaking down, changing out
only the combs for new foundation to restart over (twice we
did that also by the way). In restarting both times, no
outside bees were brought in. We retooled from own stock
and added all the ferals we could ketch and still do as we
have build our numbers back up.

Are Pseudoscorpions eating a mite or two? Maybe if there.
Are the ants? Maybe if there? Are the lizzards and spiders
and small snakes eating a mite or two? Maybe if there.

Do I care for the few they get? No. Do the bees eat mites?
Well since it has been brought up before by Bob I think
even....Maybe in cleaning out pupae in extreme cases and
then the immature ones probably...........Do they eat the
adult mites? .....  No I don't think so, for when you put a
queen includer/excluder on the bottom of a hive and keep
the drones in, the bees chew the drones to keep from
clogging the wire grid, but only so much for they dont eat
the hardened thorax for example, nor other beetles (large
black or dark red just plain beetles) for they don't eat
the hardened shells.....So I cannot see the adult bees
eating the adult varroa mites, while I can see them biting
them and hurting legs, and breaking shell then dropping
them to the bottom debree for other in house
co-relationship existing to gather and take care of aka the
ants, snakes, spiders, roaches, normal beetles, regular
scorions, pseudoscorpions, etc, etc.

Now where does this end? It ends IMPOV with bees on normal
sized combs for their area, that are acclimitized or
naturalized to their local area/region, and maintained with
real food they make and not artificial feeds, and not doped
or medicated in any way be it even IPM. Then you follow the
bees needs and not your own. You only take the surplus and
not their personal needs and you don't upset the balance
they work within by recognizing that all creatures seen in
hives with them if not being attacked by them or fought
belong there.

Now if you wish to then say control mites with the
pseudoscopions, then how many hundred do you need in a
commercial production hive? or do you only keep mini-nucs
with them for pollenation and hope to make profit, and same
with making honey?

If you can do it fine.......as for me, it's another one of
those......if you ketch my drift!

Respectfully submitted,

Dee A. Lusby
Small Cell Commercial Beekeeper
Moyza, Arizona
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/organicbeekeepers/


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