2011 varroa levels

[Jon]

Beekeepers certainly have to be smarter than they used to be.
My father's generation just lifted the supers on and off and caught as many swarms as they could, although acarine used to be much more of a problem in the good old days.
Not many beekeepers cull drone brood. I rarely do unless I have a dodgy colony which i don't want making drones.
Roger Patterson always asks his audience who culls drone brood and he says you don't get many hands in the air.
The extra couple of days the drone brood is sealed makes a big difference to the average number of viable mites raised per foundress mite.

And my mantra for ages has been that good management of varroa and nosema means that you should have healthy bees.

Hi Jon,
no traces of any pesticides in either wax or brood according to Keele University.

Bad talk Jimbo. You must be on the payroll of the evil empire same as Gavin and the man from Bristol!