In message <[log in to unmask]>, David Eyre
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>On  7 Jan 97 at 9:53, RICHARD BARNES wrote: Re: foundation in brood nest
>> I believe that last year their was a thread about using foundation in the
>> brood box to control mites by taking out this extra drone comb.
>
>This idea is used quite extensively in Europe. One frame of drone
>foundation is added to the center of the brood nest at a time of year when
>the hive is producing drones.
 
An additional technique is to trap the Q on a frame of drone comb, caged
in with excluder-type walls, so that she only lays drone. When the comb
is full (sealed?), transfer the Q to another similar frame trap, destroy
the first and repeat. I think that the idea is to make sure that the
only available cells for the varroa are those within the special frames,
so that a large proportion are destroyed.
 
We don't (yet, quite) have the dreaded mite here in Liverpool, but
perhaps someone with practical experience could enlarge on this
treatment and it's pros & cons - looks attractive, but may be a lot of
work for anyone with more than a couple of hives.
 
--
Alyn W. Ashworth
Lancashire & North-West Bee-Keepers' Association. UK.
(but I don't speak on their bee-half)