> One more possibility he mentioned was that perhaps the mites are non-virulent I don't know how you would test this. I have been to the Arnot Forest, it's not far from my home. There are a lot of bee hives around there, although not in the forest. But it is not very large, there aren't large patches of wilderness around here any more! Like I said, I think it has to do with the bees' swarming. You have a serious break in the brood rearing in both the swarm and the parent. Some European researchers experimented with this, I don't know what they found. Peter Borst Danby NY -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---