Hi Bob,

>Wow ! Has it been four years since you started small cell? Time really
>flies! I remember when you were only talking about small cell on BEE-L!

Yep, I actually have to go back to my field notes to check out the
specifics. I am getting older :>)

The first mites were spotted here in 1988. I didn't find them in my bees
until 1992. A year later, they were destroying most of my hives.  I got on
the chemical treadmill.

Chemical resistant mites developed here by 1996. At that time I looked for
alternatives. I contacted L. Hines and the Lusbys about their methods and
stock. I began using mite trays and then built screened bottom boards to
count mites.

I purchased lots of queens looking for some mite resistance and stopped
routinely treating my hives at that time. I experimented with softer
chemical like formic, essential oils, FGMO and FGMO with essential oils,
and powdered sugar.

I stopped all treatments in 1999.

Russian bees were introduced in 2000.

My hives were converted to small cell during the spring of 2001.

Looking back at my notes, my untreated large cell hives would naturally
drop, at most,a couple of mites per day during the early spring of their
first year. By August, the most susceptable hives would be dropping a dozen
mites/day. The least susceptible would drop about half that amount.

During the second year, these untreated hives would drop half a dozen mites
per day early in the spring. By the end of August, the most susceptable
would be dropping 50 or more mites per day. The least susceptible would
drop half that amount. Most of these hives would perish over the winter.
Any survivors were dinks with the rare exception.

My Russian bees were among the rare exceptions. They would drop very few
mites initially. Survive into the third year and then perish by years end.
They could carry a tremendous mite load and not show any external symptoms
such as DWV, MWV, PMS, crawlers, etc.

Regards
Dennis

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