Quote Originally Posted by The Drone Ranger View Post
.....Course if you have a neighbour doesn't bother treating then his mites will be invading your hives next year
Yes, the first four years or so are the most tricky.

I learned beekeeping in the London around the 4th year of varroa and again, when I moved back to Scotland, Edinburgh was in about its 4th year of the mite. So in both places it was beginning to settle ... the absconding from neglected or wild colonies had largely happened and head-in-the-sand beekeepers had mostly given up.

So we've a way to go here. I keep bees in 3 places, two of which have not yet been infested but distances suggest that won't last long.

MAQS seems more risky than it says on the packet, especially when mesh floors are not in use, but it's very helpful in half doses for knocking down as-yet-unseen varroa. As you say, Drone Ranger, it is said not to affect the honey.

I'd prefer to go back to using my old formic acid frame-fitted vapourisers which were highly effective but more bother. I know folk don't like us to use acid ... but hey, I still have some so may as well use it up.