Subject: Varroa Infestation Rates

From: [email-masked] (David J Trickett)
Date: 16 Sep 1996 06:09:54 GMT

Adam F. noted 20% of the adult bees in his hives (sw Virginia) are 
infested w/varroa.  I'm noticing far, far lower infestation rates on my 
hives here and around Philadelphia.  Temp here is about 68 degrees F., 
and a good flow has been going on for a week.  I've yet to see any mites 
on adult workers and have seen an ocassional mite on ejected drones.  
These drones have been in pretty bad shape, looking discolored and 
having malformed wings.  I'm not sure whether the workers are yanking 
them out of the cells prior to complete development due to mite damage, 
or as part of the "massacre of the drones," or because they are infested 
in the first place.  I never before noticed drones being yanked out before 
full development but then again I never looked until this year.  

Also, I spoke with David Wasitowski at S&F Honey Farm in Flemington, NJ 
(near Trenton, about 50 miles n of Philly) and he has noticed the same 
thing (low infestation).  They have at least a few hundred hives and do 
some breeding and nuke production.  

This is complicating trials w spearmint oil (I posted my intention to 
conduct some about two weeks ago) but I am still conducting them and 
will be treating all of my hives over the next week and posting the 
trial and additional results.  For now I am curious about other areas' 
infestation rates.  Maybe only less harmful mites survived last 
winter...?    

Dave T.