"Robin Dartington" asked

> Can Peter throw light on Peter Dillon's orginal point - how exactly are
> Indian beekeers are avoiding losses from varroa and viruses?  What control
> do they use?

As we are talking about cerana, there is no varroa problem.  The TSBV was
bad in the early 90's, but they have bred from the survivors and now have
largely resistant stock.  If I lived in Kerala I would be very happy to run
large numbers of cerana.  The hives are small and easy to lift and the bees
are a joy - wonderful temper (no veils, no smoke), and no propolis or brace
comb in the ones that I saw.  By contrast, some mellifera were suffering
with varroa (not all - but give it time!) and Bee-eaters are a major
problem - they love those big, fat, juicy, yellow mellifera queens when they
fly to mate!  Tropilaelaps is also attacking mellifera and, I suspect, will
become a major problem in time.

Peter Edwards
[log in to unmask]
www.stratford-upon-avon.freeserve.co.uk/

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