Dr. Pedro Rodriguez wrote:
 
 >As the rest of the world will soon discover, there is another mite in
India which has now
>claimed Apis mellifera (Italian race) as their choice meal.
 
Parasitism of A. mellifera by Tropilaelaps is very interesting and
important, but it's hardly a new phenomenen in India or elsewhere.
 
>The breeding rate of mites is so short and numerous that they really
>pose an enormous challenge to scientists to overcome.
 
Well perhaps ... but surely the obvious fact about V. jacobsoni is that its
reproductive rate is extremely low in comparison with most other mite
parasites and pests . This is actually an enormous point in favour of
control.
 
 >Hence, the most plausible avenues of conquest of these mites is through
interruption of
>their life cycles with aims at erradication.
 
Surely this is an enormous non-sequitur. Yes it is logical to interupt the
mites life cycle - any method of control that doesn't do this isn't a
method of control at all, after all; but it does not follow that because
the mites are a big problem and because they can breed we must totally
eradicate them to be able control them. Moreover, even if eradication seems
an attractive idea, in reality it just isn't feasable since any eradication
scheme would have to reach every single  mite in every single colony to be
a success. I'm sure that this point has been made enough times here before.
 
>Chemically, we already know that it can not be achieved because of the
mites ability to mutate and
>develop resistance to chemicals (the fluvalinate story). The solution
>lies in the utilization of physiological, anatomical and biological
>characteristics of mites.
 
It is a problem that mites can develop resistance to chemical treatments
used to control them. But rather than throwing our hands up in despair, it
is worth remembering that as beekeepers we can prolong the useful life of
the chemical treatments that we are using by  strictly adhering to the
label directions so that we avoid exposing mite populations to sub-lethal
doses of the active incredient as it is this which is the factor most
likely to cause the development of resistance. I do agree that the long
term solution will probably not be based on chemical treatments, and this
is one reason why management methods (such as drone trapping) are
significant.
 
Finally, although the term chemical treatments tends to be associated with
synthetic pyrethroids etc.,  the 'alternative treatments' sometimes used by
beekeepers such as essential oils, formic acid and mineral oils(!) are
chemicals too. Their modes of action may be different, but  I am aware of
no scientific reason that why the same issue of development of mite
resistance does not apply equally to these. Perhaps those better informed
than me in this field might wish to to comment.
 
Anyway, I should say that I am quite looking forward to receiving details
of Dr. Pedro Rodriguez's methods and results to consider.
 
James Morton