Hello Tom & All,
Would I be correct in saying that if America had to face varroa again with
the benefit of hindsight that America would not have used chemicals so
liberally?

I do not think one could say we ever used chemicals liberally.  We started
with amatraz and then those strips were pulled because of some dead hives in
Florida (owned by a friend of mine which still says the strips were the
reason the hives died around 150 hives I believe).

We used fluvalinate (Apistan) then a  relative  safe  and effective control
for varroa which is still in use in areas.

Those  which had fluvalinate resistant varroa had little choice but to use
the checkmite strips  which were very effective.

The battle to control varroa is on going and  will get harder when the
checkmite  strips quit working in our area.

Published results of 1998 mineral oil testing in Missouri

I realize you have been a advocate of mineral oil but we ruled out mineral
oil in 1999 after tests run in Missouri in the year 1998 under a grant by
the Missouri department of Agriculture (S.A.R.E. program) using Dr. Pedro P.
Rodriguez method had a complete failure.

I do not think the results are available on line but are published in the
1998-2000 "Missouri Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Award Projects "
book available from the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

Heading up the project was a beekeeper/entomologist  with two master
beekeeper certifications (Matt Higdon),with help from the president of the
Missouri State beekeepers ( Art Gelder) and Ray Nabors (a respected
beekeeper which teaches beekeeping classes).

Not room for me to put all details of the project in this post but will
quote from Matt Higdon  from page 24 of the above book:

 Though the results are disappointing , Higdon points out," The real value
of the test  is to illustrate that one must be skeptical of the many
anecdotal reports and unsubstantiated observations that abound   on the
internet-no matter how well intentioned they may be"

Instructions were gleaned from to quote from pg. 22 of the above book:

"Much of this project is a follow-up to the recent work of a "Dr. Pedro
P.Rodriguez', presumably a retired veterinarian in Virginia"

I believe both Matt & Dr. Rodriguez are members of BEE-L so maybe they will
comment.

Bob

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