If you're more or less certain you have no or minimal infestation why bother treating? Medicines are there for treatment of maladies - you don't need them all the time. Use varroa boards to check your mite drop but from what you've said it sounds like this particular colony of yours is one of the few fortunate ones to be lacking serious infestation. Treat only when (and` unfortunately, I don't mean if) you find an infestation and not before. Best regards, Max Vita (Europe) Limited ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Apistan Treatment necessary? Author: [log in to unmask] at INTERNET1 Date: 8/28/97 2:24 PM Both the county bee inspector and my own personal testing for varroa (visually inspecting drone larvae) showed no evidence of varroa in my first year hive. I am somewhat chemical averse, or at least prefer not to use any when no absolutely necessary. Is it customary to not treat a hive with Apistan if fairly confident the hive is not infested?