Gentlefolk and fellow beekeepers,
 
     I realize that this may seem very unconnected, but please bear with me.
 
     As I read all the various postings on 'the mite problem' I was suddenly
struck by the similarity to an infectious disease. (a side interest of mine
as an old paramedic in the Air Force during 'Nam)
 
     During the first world war many countries, including ours, were
overwhelmed by "Spanish Influenza".As this illness blazed its way across
continents wiping out as much as 3/4 of the population, there seemed to be no
way to protect against it. Medical personnel dealt with it, as we do with
mites, by treating the symptoms, since we had no idea of how else to deal
with it. Now days we have flu shots, and the flu adapts every year, and we
get new shots.
 
     Somewhere in this process it would seem that there is an answer. So far
we treat with Apistan strips and Terramycin, and this treats the symptoms, SO
FAR.  As with flu, the mites are going to get used to the 'anti-bodies' (the
chemicals we use) and adapt. But in the mean time, the flu has not had the
same impact on our society since we found out about anti-bodies, and we no
longer lose 3/4 of our population to its depredations yearly. We hae learned
to adapt, and so has the flu, it would seem that we could follow somewhat of
the same process in relationship to Varroa and Tracheal mites. We(humans)
learned to deal with the disease, the bees can not do so in a concerted
manor, but WE can.
 
Is anyone following where I'm leading here? I just haven't figured out how to
apply the lesson in practice.
 
Bee Happy, and Bee watchful
Kay