Ian I have the same questions, for the ones I do not have the answer. However past winter was very hard over here and I lost some 40% of my hives. The ones that survive stayed broodless for a couple of month (maybe a bit less) and in spring they have very few mites (less than 1%). I treat in autum and spring with amitraz. Usually winter is not that hard over here, and not all hive become broodless, and usually I start spring with a bigger mite load (>5%). So I am inclined to conclude that mites in a broodless hive subject to a hard winter get life tuffer and there survival rate is diminished. At the same time I have to consider that I have Nceranae in my hives, and lots of adult bees disapeared during winter, so a second conclution for the low mite count could be that they stay on the adult honeybees, and as they died out of the hive during winter, they take part of the mites out. -- Juanse Barros J. APIZUR S.A. Carrera 695 Gorbea - CHILE +56-45-271693 08-3613310 http://apiaraucania.blogspot.com/ [log in to unmask] **************************************************** * General Information About BEE-L is available at: * * http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/default.htm * ****************************************************