On the subject of late season mite reinfestation, I just went through my overwintered colonies and rather than wondering what went wrong I actually had exceptionally good winter survival. I did mite washes in August and needed treatment. I used thymol/Apiguard because I knew I was going to be traveling and wanted a long lasting treatment. The first application vaporized pretty quickly but the second application lingered on most hives and I could see crystals on the cards in many hives when I opened them for OA dribbles in December. I wonder if the thymol did not give extended mite control via extended release as the temperatures cooled off? As I dribbled in December I also make a practice of adding a 2 inch rim, a sheet of newspaper, and a full rim of dry granulated sugar for any hives that don't feel heavy or hives in which I can see the cluster. I think the sugar adds insulation, acts as a moisture sump, and the bees seem to really enjoy tunneling up into the hardened sugar in early spring. happy to share good news, Bill Lord Louisburg, NC *********************************************** 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