>
> >I may be wrong here but aren't all packages coming from New Zealand
> treated and inspected?
>
Could well be. But those in the U.S. aren't. Some have been documented
with having infestation rates of up to 5%. That's around 600 mites in a
3-lb package. I've been presenting a chart that models the mite population
growth from packages at various starting levels.
Take home message: start the season with as many bees, and as few mites, as
possible.
--
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com
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