In a message dated 29/12/03 05:00:59 GMT Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:


> The whole point is that oxalic treatment is not very effective until there
> is little or no brood and, by delaying treatment until then, the young bees
> that we need to overwinter will have been infested with varroa.


So if your monitoring tells you that the brood is heavily infested with
Varroa, why not take it out and freeze it and treat with oxalic or whatever else is
legal and appropriate when the only mites in the colony will be phoretic? The
bees will recover better from a brief broodless period and no mites than from
having the mitey brood emerge and endure a more prolonged treatment later in
the year.

Chris

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