Hello All

Debra Sharpe asks about handling varroa without chemicals. I suppose that
everything we put into a hive to combat varroa is a chemical of some
description except using an open mesh floor, drone brood trapping and
powdered sugar.

This year, at the Beekeeping School at Gormanston in Ireland, we had a very
interesting talk from the top man in Danish Beekeeping - A Jorgensen.

About 96% of Danish beekeepers have been controlling mites without using
Apistan, Bayvarol or Coumaphos since 1984. They use various other chemicals
which do not contaminate the wax or the honey at all, or where the
contamination is less than that caused by the 'harder' chemicals listed above.

You can get full details by visiting

                                www.biavl.dk

Would not a combination of SMR bees and an open mesh floor be worth trying?
It seems to me that Americans are fortunate in having access to SMR bees, as
I see that they are now extensively advertised in The American Bee Journal.
In this country, importation of bees is prohibited. How does one get started
with SMR bees from scratch or is it a viable proposition? Any comments or
advice would be appreciated.

I might add that this year we had an American beekeeper visit us at
Gormanston, a delightful young lady from Virginia named Diane. She was most
impressed with the course and she promised us that she would tell American
beekeepers about it. Of course Aaron Morris visited us a couple of years
ago. Details of the course for 2002 will be published at
www.irishbeekeeping.ie as soon as they are available. It will take place
during the fourth week of July 2002.

Sincerely
Tom Barrett
Dublin
Ireland