Hello Bob and All

I am most grateful to Bob Harrison for the very full replies given to my post.

I suppose that even approximate answers are better than no answers at all,
as they at least give us a ball park to work with.

What I am at a loss to understand is how Danish and other European
beekeepers have managed to handle varroa from Day 1 without using acaracides
to any extent? They obviously had the problem of reinfestation which as Bob
correctly pointed out is the major source of variables in the initial stages
of varroa. How did they cope with it?

Are there any European beekeepers on the List who managed varroa without
acaricides and lived through the reinfestation period?

Sincerely
Tom Barrett
Dublin
Ireland