Varroa lifespan?

[Mike]

Anyone know:

1) how long varroa can live without reproduction?
2) is there an age at which they can no longer reproduce?

3) Is there a more active newsgroup for beekeeping? :)

Thanks
Mike

[PhoenixWench]

Hi - I am not a regular, but there is a site you might find useful;
http://www.honeybeelives.org/
I was introduced to it by a local master beekeeper when I desperately
needed info on caring for a swarm that 'adopted' me suddenly this fall.
One item that might be of particular use is a special tea using thyme
which apparently helps ward off varroa mites. This is a homeopathic
organic sort of site rather than a chemical-oriented one (if there is
such a thing - I am a total newbie at this).

Good luck - and be patient - the folks in this group may not seem active
at the moment but they do monitor it and should respond within a day or
so in my experience.

--
PhoenixWench

Toleration is not the opposite of intolerance but the counterfeit of it.
Both are despotisms: the one assumes to itself the right of withholding
liberty of conscience, the other of granting it.
-- Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man

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[danfan46]

Varroa can only reproduce, and will, when there is larvae. They live across a long Nordic winter so you must fight them.
I use different sorts of acid at various times of the bee life cycle.
There is no other more active newsgroup available in english. Most people have moved to blogs and other fora.
/dg

[Mike]

Thanks for both posts.
I prefer to use a newsgroup now.

Anyway. This spring will end my 2nd year and begin my 3rd year of
beekeeping. My one hive has grown to 3. I am located in Maine, USA.

My reason for the varroa question is I am trying to come up with a
plan for next year. I hope to stay chemical free if possible, using
powdered sugar, drone combs, maybe queen isolation, etc.. I am still
considering the best method that logically would work against varroa.
Only one hive this year got to the point of 30mites/24 hours. I gave
it a couple of dustings and it dropped below that count.
I purchased 2 RWeaver buckfast queens but it appears both were
superceded by my italians. So all my hives basically have home grown
queens now.

I have considered that if I had enough hives, maybe like 50 or so. I
could rotate them. One year split half very heavily to knock varroa
down (the long broodless period while they build comb) and make new
hives. Use the other half as honey producers. The next year reverse
their roles. This I imagine would constantly keep the hives in an
almost 1st year condition?

Just ideas right now.
Mike