> Because you used Apistan to keep your Russians alive the question
> is still. *Can they survive varroa without chemical treatments*.

AFAIK, the answer is, "No".  Not reliably anyhow.  My understanding is that the
Russian queens in the hands of beekeepers are likely not to be of pure Russian
origin, and even if they were, survival in good condition is not a certainty.

> Lets pull a few off chemicals this fall and see what happens.

I think we all know what would happen.

Even if they were pure Russian, would it not be prudent to do a mite drop or
alcohol wash measurement on a hive before deciding not to treat it?  After all,
the test is cheap and easy compared to replacing the bees.

allen