Have you read the article by Steve Sheppard in the Jan '04 Bee Culture? Looks like in the not too far future we may possibly have another tool in the toolbox; but unlike oxalic acid it looks like Dadant will most likely - if I am reading between the lines correctly - package the new tool: On Fri, 3 Oct 2003 14:46:09 -0600, Rosalind James <[log in to unmask]> wrote: "I am a Research Entomologist (Insect Pathologist) at the USDA Agricultural Research Service's Bee Biology and Systematics Lab in Logan, UT..... I am currently working on developing a microbial control for varroa mites, that means, yes, the use of fungi for controlling varroa". "... but we are now at the point of doing field tests in collaboration with Dadant to determine effective doses and methods for application. The biggest problems..." Since Steve Sheppard reports that this stuff, Metarhizium anisopliae, in field studies "was equal to that achieved with the conventional treatment Apistan(R)" this just might work. Interesting to note that this was a thread that started back in May of last year on the Bee-L: http://listserv.albany.edu:8080/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0305E&L=bee-l&P=R295. It appears that a great amount of work has been accomplished. Let's hope that if it does come to fruition that the FDA approved pesticide and its application can be purchased at a reasonable price since it was developed with taxpayers dollars. Chuck Norton Norton's Nut & Honey Farm Reidsville, NC :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::