At this point, I am 22 days into observing daily mite drops and recording my progress and observations daily at http://honeybeeworld.com/diary/ starting just before a fall oxalic vapor treatment. Inasmuch as the project is a continuation of what we have been discussing here and a compilation of things I have dug up and things I have learned, both about mites and my own powers of observation, I thought I'd mention it again. It began with my thinking that I was not seeing mites as expected in early October, then seeing a few, then refining both my methods and understanding over time. I had a few surprises along the way and some of my observations and findings along the way may be quite illuminating for those trying to understand varroa drops. Maybe not. Anyhow I did a lot of writing and for those with limited time, but some interest, I recommend skimming through, rather than reading it all. The odyssey spans three diary pages. Daytime temperatures were up to 20 degrees C at the beginning, and the morning temperature today was minus 16 degrees Celsius (-4F). We now have an inch of snow, but I'm still reading the boards daily and seeing a pattern. There is still brood in some hives, or was yesterday. I expect to blast with oxalic vapor again soon. Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0 51°33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/ *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at: http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm