>... One observation
> though is that using FGMO as I understand it precludes using the method
> of Erickson which is the simplest for a beekeeper to do since you are
> keeping the varroa population low through repeated treatments.  For
> selecting colonies that are more resistant to the mites you need to let
> the mites have some time to build up populations in the test colonies so
> those with the lowest mite populations can be found by some method of
> testing the mite population.

Good point.  Another is that some of the mechanisms for mite control by
bees seem to require a certain base level of mites to express themselves.
Very low levels do not seemingly trigger the activity.

As I recall, the Russian bees seemed to stabilize at about 6% varroa.  That
seems high to me, and I may be wrong, but that is what I remember from
Manley Bigalk's talk in Saskatoon last winter..

allen