> I always hear the problem is varroa controls are failing...

From where I sit, it looks to me as if we have waves of losses as the 
efficacy of each strong chemical strip fails in turn.

Beekeepers come to rely on a method, learn to trust it, then varroa develops 
resistance and learning starts over.  At each such failure, losses mount, 
then drop again as another new method is adopted.

> I would rather say many beekeepers are failing to control varroa! Formic 
> and  thymol work if applied correctly and at the right time. Hell even 
> sugar dusting will work if done often enough.

Yes, formic and thymol do work, but they are far more dependant on 
environmental and management factors than strips and less effective even 
when they do work as expected, and that is not anything approaching anywhere 
near 100%.

Another thing that we don't hear much about is the brood and other damage 
that these "soft" chemicals (they are chemicals) cause in varying and 
unpredictable degrees.  Some experiments have shown drastic reductions in 
yields after treatments with formic.  Others have not.  Goes to show how 
variable the product is.

Anyhow, it seems when we have good varroa control, the other problems go 
away.  Varroa control on a large scale is easy with strips, but a bit of a 
crapshoot with the other methods.  Unfortunately, we will in all likelihood 
run out of chemical options sooner or later.

I think the answer has got to be bee breeding and the development, and 
adoption of resistant strains.  There are already a few out there, and I am 
sure there are more coming.  Smart beekeepers are experimenting with them to 
see if they suit their purposes, and some are finding strains which are 
hardy, resistant to disease and pests and productive as well in their 
particular situation.

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