Many beekeepers perform a one time varroa mite treatment using oxalic acid in addition to a late summer treatments. The idea is to perform this last of the season's (also called a cleanup treatment) treatment AFTER the queen has stopped laying and all brood has emerged. When this occurs no mites are hidden inside brood cells and are therefore exposed and susceptible to the oxalic acid vapors. Up to a 95% mite kill is possible at this time. The bees will go through winter as mite free as possible.
I had occasion to be inside several hives and nuc yesterday, October 6th. All still had capped brood. So it is still not time perform the cleanup treatment. It is better to wait to the last week of October or first week of November.
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