Mite Testing

Football928 · July 09, 2015, 10:43:59 AM

Hello so im going to do a mite test soon with a sticky board how do i do the formula to see how many mites i have over 24hr period.

GLOCK · July 09, 2015, 05:21:17 PM

Do alcohol washes on your hives .

Football928 · July 09, 2015, 05:24:11 PM

i already bought the stuff for sticky board

Michael Bush · July 10, 2015, 02:01:14 PM

>Do alcohol washes on your hives .

Nothing quite like killing bees to improve your morale...

GSF · July 15, 2015, 04:47:27 PM

Football,
Each year the manageable threshold for mites get lower and lower. I'm thinking more and more folks are getting around buying the chemicals to put in your hives. In my suspicious mind I see the big chem companies donating money to these colleges who then do a study that shows DANGER! DANGER! TREAT! TREAT! in order to generate business. This is coming from someone in their third summer of beekeeping. Some folks on here only use brood brakes to eradicate/reduce the mites. I use oxalyic (sp) (see I can't even spell it) acid in the vaporizing form. No problem with mites so far. I use to see DWV & K wing but not any more.

Getting back to your question. Put the sticky board in the hive underneath the screen bottom. Take it out 24 hours later and count. I think the new acceptable manageable number is now down to something like 2 maybe 3. I might add - that's a bunch of crap in my simpleton mind. Most beeks have that many in their hair.

Michael Bush · July 16, 2015, 01:24:05 PM

They typical numbers thrown around are that the natural drop over 24 hours should be below about 50 or 60... a sugar shake should be about 5 or 6 on a cupful of bees.

Football928 · July 16, 2015, 05:52:49 PM

Quote from: GSF on July 15, 2015, 04:47:27 PM
Football,
Each year the manageable threshold for mites get lower and lower. I'm thinking more and more folks are getting around buying the chemicals to put in your hives. In my suspicious mind I see the big chem companies donating money to these colleges who then do a study that shows DANGER! DANGER! TREAT! TREAT! in order to generate business. This is coming from someone in their third summer of beekeeping. Some folks on here only use brood brakes to eradicate/reduce the mites. I use oxalyic (sp) (see I can't even spell it) acid in the vaporizing form. No problem with mites so far. I use to see DWV & K wing but not any more.

Getting back to your question. Put the sticky board in the hive underneath the screen bottom. Take it out 24 hours later and count. I think the new acceptable manageable number is now down to something like 2 maybe 3. I might add - that's a bunch of crap in my simpleton mind. Most beeks have that many in their hair.

Thank you for the info ill will be putting my sticky board in tonight

GSF · July 16, 2015, 10:14:04 PM

Michael, I may be remembering wrong, but at one of the state meetings I went to this was presented by Dr Jim Tew. He, of course, was just passing info along from some educated source. The numbers 4,5, or 6, sticks in my mind, and this was a natural mite drop over a 24 hour period. I really appreciate Dr Tew, but I question those who came up with that low of a number. Heck, you'd have to treat almost weekly to keep them down that low.

Michael Bush · July 16, 2015, 11:37:35 PM

>4,5, or 6, sticks in my mind, and this was a natural mite drop over a 24 hour period.

I'll bet the 4, 5 or 6 was an alcohol wash or a sugar shake, not a 24 hour drop.