With regard to the view that reducing drones is a valid Varroa control,
David writes "Following this thread brings to mind a question I raised some
time
ago and didn't get an answer. While I now agree with the premise
of reducing drones as a means of controlling Varroa mites.
         What are queen breeders to do? We need as many drones as
we can get, even to the point of raising drones from drone mother
hives.
        Any one got any suggestions?"
 
Before making a suggestion that may work...I, for one, do not agree that
reducing drones is a valid method of controlling Varroa.  In the November
issue of ABJ is an article on controlling Varroa without fluvalinate, formic
acid, essential oils, etc.  The author maintains that he has controlled
Varroa for several years solely by "trapping" Varroa on drone brood, and
then destroying the brood!  He is doing the opposite of reducing drone
brood.  He is deliberately increasing the amount of drone brood to attract
mites to the drone brood (where they are subsequently destroyed), rather
than the worker brood.
 
IMHO, the colony collapses we have all seen in July/August is because there
is not sufficient drone brood for the mites, so they infest worker brood as
a second choice.  We are each entitled to our views, and mine is that if we
eliminate drone brood in an attempt to control mites, the effect will be to
put the mites onto worker brood and the hives will collapse sooner rather
than later.
 
David, I am no expert on queen raising, but I know two breeders in the North
who are.  Both think that one of today's problems with queens is that there
are insufficient drones, because the feral drones have been eliminated.
Both use drone brood foundation to increase the number of drones.  Two
frames per deep is standard.
 
There is some thought that since good Carnolians stop raising brood in
Northern climates, their hives have fewer mites in the spring than do hives
of Italians.  One of the two breeders raises exclusively New World
Carnolians's, and the other relies heavily on NWC's.  If drone producing
hives show any sign of Varroa, strips are immediately inserted.
(Regardless, these hives are not used for honey production.)
 
Hope this helps,
 
Lloyd
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Owner, Ross Rounds(tm)  the finest in comb honey production.