I beleive I know why Russians winter well and are tolerant of Varroa. Subject to confirmation, I believe they have vodka running thru their innards. We are having a slight wintery blast here in Southern Ontario, yesterday I checked hives and a few had their lids blown off. The russian hive could have clustered under a feed bag or a feed patty that was on top but instead seemed quite content milling about the top bars. It was 0 deg C, no sunshine and terrible windy! Today at another yard that is mostly Russian hybrids ( Kelly Rogers from Chatsworth, ON) they are gorging on FeedBee in a pollen feeder in the yard, and it is 5 deg C and sunny. 
So as far as the mite tolerance goes I figure they bite into a Russian and get a snoot full of liquor and drop dead!
( Again subject to confirmation from further studies.  It could be they are filled with antifreeze and thus possess glycolymph instead of hemolymph)
Greg Hawkins
Everton, ON
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