> Hi Doug!
> Good question you posed!  Some of the mail on the b-l, indicate varroa is to
> blame.  Well, this has not been absolutely proven to be the 'whole' truth.
> Yes, sure, there is a certain link between varroa and deformed wings.
>   But at least some current research is generally heading in the direction of
> varroa the vector!  A carrier of viruses etc.
> So, there are a number of useful things you could be doing.
>
> 1.  Send a sample of bees away (30-50 bees) for viral analysis. Put them in a
> match box. (I have no idea where you would send them in the U.S.A)
>
> 2.  For colonies with serious wing damage, try and record the mite drop per
> day.
>
> 3.  Certainly treat your colony with an acaricide if you have varroa!
>
> And you could consider looking at the following references
>
> DeJong,D. et al (1982) Weight loss and other damage to developing worker
>       honeybees from infestation with Varroa.  J.Apic.Res. 21(3):165-167
>
> Marcangeli,J. et al (1992)  Malformations produced by Varroa on Apis in the
>       province of Buenos Aires,Argentina.  Apidologie 23:399-402.
>
> Bailey,L.& Ball,B.V. (1991)  Honeybee pathology (2nd ed). Academic
>       press,London.
>
> Anyway, good luck and let me know how you got on!
>
> Cheers Peter
>
 
 
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