>Could the repeated testing for varroa lead to breeding resistant
>mites???
 
I do wonder about the scheduled introduction of a treatment based on
time alone. After all a doctor would not sit you down at your anual exam
and tell you that they wanted you to take antibiotics twice a year "just
in case".
 
In other posts the subject of pressure for the mite to gain resistance
was covered rather well. Now I wonder about the pressure the bee needs
to feel in order to move to resistance to the mite?
 
And finaly, since the queen carries the DNA of many drones with which to
produce eggs could part of the problem of a hive breaking down be
related to her starting to produce inferior offspring as she moves from
the genetic material of one drones line to the next? For example a new
batch of workers emerge that do not groom as well as their older half
sisters.