Hello Barry & All,
< With the USDA spending millions each  year on mite control, approving
>stronger and stronger chemicals, what will  it take for someone within this
<taxpayer supported system to take a little  time and do some testing on
what >the Lusby's are doing?

I would recommend all which are interested in the above subject to read *
the Varroa Handbook* or Mites of the Honey Bee* by Dadant.  NO NEW CHEMICALS
are being tested for varroa control.  The list of over 100 is the same now
as it looked in the 1980's with the use of fluvalinate & amatraz crossed off
the list.  There are those which believe we can go back to fluvalinate in a
couple years but I have my doubts about its effectiveness.
Researchers saw the above coming 20 years ago.  Dr. Siminuki started talking
IPM long before he retired.
Researchers at the USDA  bee labs are working on bees which will coexist
with varroa.  I was told the time frame could be up to 20 years BUT they
would in time create such a bee.  Granted the results have been slow in
coming but each journey begins with the FIRST STEP.   In my opinion and
being able to honestly say I have looked at the varroa problem as much as
about any beekeeper in the U.S. that the U.S.D.A. is spending our money
wisely and in the right place.  It is true as Barry says they have to
provide testing at times for chemicals off the list to be registered such as
coumaphos. Coumaphos is simply a chemical to span time until the proper
solution can be found.
I was hoping I wouldn't have to say what I am about to but will.  The small
cell issue is mostly theory.  We really do not know why Dee's bees are doing
as well as she claims.  It would take at least two years to duplicate her
results in a bee lab and in my opinion longer.  Dr. Harbo is seeing success
with the SMR.  Less work when the project is finished and a quicker solution
to our problems as a industry.  Breeding a bee to tolerate varroa is a
project a banker would loan money on.  We know it can be done.  We know we
are making progress.  If Dr. Harbo was not seeing success then maybe small
cell would stand a chance.

I agree with Barry that Dee & Ed Lusby's project of the last ten years needs
to be documented for all to see.  Has Dee kept records of the whole project?
I for one would love to look at her methods.  I believe one of the bee mags
(possibly Bee Culture) would run a series of articles about the things she
did and the results she got over the last ten years.  *If* the articles made
*no claims* and stated the things the Lusbys did and the results they saw
then they *might* get by without censorship. The bee magazines always check
theories expressed as fact with researchers before publishing. Hence the
scientists names beside the Lusbys on their already Bee Culture published
articles.
In the last two years the scientific community has been shocked at the
recent findings of Anderson (varroa destructor) and Harbo (SMR bees).
With the recent discoveries of the above I see small cell as outdated and
not cost effective. If the efforts of the Baton Rouge Bee lab fail then IPM
such as small cell size, open mesh floors, drone removal combined with
breeding may be the best solution for non chemical control. All involve time
and labor expense in a large operation when the cost of production is now
over the wholesale price of honey (Texas A& M study).
Bob