Hi Bill & All, >My experience was you can do it for a while (even doing everything >right) and get away with it, but in the long run, it is better to >purchase queens and break the cycle. You may think you are breeding a >better bee, but it does not always work out that way. The books are right. > I think that Marla Spivak is correct when she said it was time for us to stop using mitecides and to start breeding a resistant honey bee. If we continue to always buy replacement queens we can not break a cycle of losing colonies to mites without chemicals. What cycle are you speaking of Bill? . . .. Keith Malone, Chugiak, Alaska USA, http://www.cer.org/, c(((([ Caucasian Bee Keeper, http://takeoff.to/alaskahoney/ _________________________________________________________________ Rethink your business approach for the new year with the helpful tips here. http://special.msn.com/bcentral/prep04.armx :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::