When doing a sugar shake I have read to install a tray to count mites. I also read that many pour oil to kill mites. My question is is the oil nessesary and if not can the sugar be reused after mites have been removed and provided it stays moisture free.
Not sure on the oil thing but on reusing the sugar, I don't think you can reuse it.
Quote from: pdmattox on March 19, 2008, 03:39:36 PM
Not sure on the oil thing but on reusing the sugar, I don't think you can reuse it.
No just pouring over the bees contaminates it with debrie and moisture. Besides, the bees often convert what they scrub off each other and into honey by adding water and processing just like they do regular nectar. The vast majority of it falls on the ground too.
When I've done it, there's never been enough left to consider recycling. A lot of flying ghosts though!
Reusing the powdered sugar would be redundant. The powdered sugar must be in a very fine state for it to sift down and cover the bees, if it was reused the moisture that would be in the sugar would be very difficult to remove. Getting it back to the original state of highly fluffy stuff would be an exercise that would not even be worth the effort, never mind the debris that is in the powdered sugar after it has gone through the colony. Why bother? Have a wonderful and beautifully great day, love our life we're all livin' and sharin'. Cindi