Poll
Question:
How do You monitor for varroa mites?
Option 1: I don't monitor
votes: 2
Option 2: Visually - I look for them on bees
votes: 3
Option 3: Sticky board or oil trap under SBB
votes: 7
Option 4: Sugar shake (correct term?)
votes: 0
Option 5: Sampling drone brood
votes: 2
Option 6: Other method - please explain
votes: 1
Option 7: I don't have bees yet
votes: 0
Option 8: I have bees, but I'm so new I don't have an answer
votes: 1
I know that I've heard some other people here say that they only treat for mites when they have a problem, and I'm wondering how you know you have a problem. I've never seen a mite on a bee this summer, but after building oil traps for SHB I saw some varroa floating in the oil within only a couple of hours of changing the bottom boards for the traps. This is not good, but I should have known.
Anyway, how do YOU monitor for varroa mites?
I do a 24 hr natural mite fall count. I do this for 3 days and then average to get the 24 hr average drop.
Alcohol Wash
I used to do sugar shakes, natural drop and open up some drone brood. Now I just keep my eyes open and once in a while a drone gets opened up that actually has one, or I see one on the back of a bee. I couldn't find any natural drop the last few times I looked and got none on the sugar shakes.
Quote from: jdpro5010 on October 01, 2009, 03:03:24 PM
Alcohol Wash
I assume that means you put some bees in a container with some alcohol. Why do you think this method is better for you to use than a non lethal one like a sugar shake?
iT IS FASTER EASIER AND CLEANER THAN ETHER IN MY OPINION