We are trying to sample some Varroa mites from around Michigan. We need to have a quick way to know which colonies have more mites than others since most beekeepers do not use sticky traps. I remember hearing talks (or perhap reading ABJ or BC), some years ago, that certain smoker fuels (grapefruit leaves, etc) can cause mite drop [probably Frank Eischen's work]. Anyone here tried others? I am thinking of using tabacco stems (any tabacco farmer here? :) since they can be cheap or free. I am sure it would work fast, but I am not sure if it will leave some residue (tabacco taste!) in honey or not. I suppose if we give say, 10 puffs to a colony, count mite drop after 15 min on a sticky trap, the residue cannot be that bad. I have found a few web pages on google.com, but anyone actually used any fuel here to see mite knockdown efficiency? Zach Zachary Huang Associate Professor tel: 517-353-8136 Department of Entomology fax: 517-353-4354 Michigan State University mailto:[log in to unmask] East Lansing, Michigan 48824 http://www.msu.edu/~bees :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::