varroa, and the usual suspects

[thanx_n_advance]

Poking around at the entrance of the hive this morning I watched the girls drag one of their brothers out and dump him off the edge of the hive stand. He appeared to be newly hatched, covered in that downy fuzz but upon closer inspection I noticed that he was also sporting a reviled hitchhiker - a varroa mite

Comments

[paosparti]

Have you tried asking on http://www.beesource.com or http://www.biobees.com/

[thanx_n_advance]

I just did a sugar shake test for mites. Out of a about a ½ cup of bees I got about a dozen (i.e. eleven) mites. I guess the next step is Apistan? Apiguard? Is one better (and by that I mean safer, less invasive) than the other?

I think it may be a good thing

[vixter]

It could be that your bees are "hygienic".

http://www.beeculture.com/storycms/index.cfm?cat=Story&recordID=290