I have been using the alcohol wash to test for mites but have been wondering about using a sticky board due to its ease of use. What method do you all prefer or feel is the best test?
i use the OS test. if i pull the bottom board off and it makes me say OH SH@&#, i have to many mites.
are you going to treat if you have high mite counts?
What I generally do is check once in mid to late summer and treat as necessary. The sticky board just seems to make that process a whole lot easier. In the past I used alcohol but it seems to becoming more of a hassle than it was in the past :-D!
I do the same as kathyp, for keeping an eye on mites.
I don't like killing a bunch of bees in alcohol, If I have to I prefer dusting sugar all over them.
kathyp ,,,,,,,, I use that method for a lot of things .
Why not powdered sugar shake? You don't have to kill the bees then...
Sliding in a sticky board for 24 hrs, and then taking a look at it is pretty danged easy if you are set up for it. They don't really have to be all that sticky - one shot of PAM lasts for a long time.
Right now I'm just leaving the boards in all the time, and when I want a count I squeegee off the gunk the day before.
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I know that mites are there. I do not count or search them, I just kill them.