Hi, this is response statement about using IPM methods.  I am the person who
has started the powdered sugar posts.  Why, because I tried it and saw
amazing results in knocking down varroa mites.  It's true, I'm not a
scientist and I have only been a beekeeper since 1996, a very short time.
But we have been organic gardeners for over 30 years and were 'forced' into
beekeeper due to lack of pollination.

     I was told at my first meeting, do not expect to raise bees without
some sort of chemicals period.   Screened boards, IPM methods, resistant
queens were never mention, just the ominous statement that mites were
already showing a resistance to Apitstan and we were waiting approval for
the next line of chemicals that were more dangerous and to me, more scary.

    After checking around, I discovered screened boards and had my husband
make me a few and got hooked on counting mites.  What amazed me was putting
in the Apitstan strips the next fall and spring.  We had huge mite drops for
4 weeks that fall and then they tapered off to almost nothing.   The spring
count was about half the drop as winter.  This was consistent for the next
few years.  I was able to ask Dr. Eric Mussen, our California State
Apiarist, if I needed to keep those strips in for the whole six weeks as
instructed.  Eric told me as our State Apiarist, he could only tell me how
to use the Apistan according to the directions.  He did explain the life
cycle of mites and how they hide in the brood and if I didn't have mites on
my sticky boards after 4 weeks, the strips are probably not killing any more
mites, and please do draw my own conclusions.  The next fall I pulled the
Apistan after 4 weeks when the mites stopped dropping, and the following
spring, I realized I didn't have enough mite fall to use the Apistan.

     That was about 6 years ago.  I am active in our beekeeping club.  I've
been the treasurer and membership person since 1999 and I am very vocal
about using screen boards on hives.   I'm probably responsible for most of
the members using screen boards with success with just my monthly reports on
mite monitoring and that was way before we started to swell them.

    This spring, the mites did catch up with us, as they did with beekeepers
all over Northern California, we had a few hives that were very infested.  I
was going to use Apistan on them, but heard the rumor of powdered sugar
being used as a treatment and tried it.  The mite drop was like one of
Apistan.  We counted over 1000's of mites.

    This is why we are excited.  This will be the first year we try to pull
our bees through the winter without using any chemicals, just the powdered
sugar, which is cheap, non-toxic, and very easy.  I understand, in a
scientists view, I am over jumping the gun and should do my experiments
first and then report them.  That's probably true.  But I am not a
scientist.  I just someone excited about something I see working and again,
want to get the word out.

     If this spring, our hives collapse in spite of all our work, I'll
report that as well.  I'm not expecting anyone else to try over-wintering
their hives with powdered sugar.  But I am, please cross your fingers for
me.
   Sincerely,
   Janet Brisson
   www.countryrubes.com

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