Cleaning question

[Understudy]

I have used powdered sugar for mite treatment.
I wonder however if spraying the bees with a sugar water mix wouldn't have a similar effect.
I did another swarm recently and sprayed it down when I went to move them into the box. I noticed that they seem to start cleaning each other after a while.

So the question is would sugar water work as a way to help treat bees?

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[Cindi]

Brendhan, I think the applications are different reactions.

I am sure that I read somewhere about the icing sugar treatment that it has to be a very very fine dust that is put over the bees.  Very fine....cannot stress that.  The "fineness" of the sugar "dust" may have some impact on clogging the breathing apparatus of the mites, hence more help to death of the mite, along with the mites rubbing them off the body with their cleaning of the sugar dust.

Sorry, I cannot recall where I read this, heard this, or whatever, but that thought stuck deep in my mind.  Await other answers from the forum, I am sure many will come.  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, good health to all. Cindi

[Jerrymac]

I heard the fine sugar caused the mites to loose foot holds on the bees. But I guess as far as causing the bees to groom sugar water would work. Don't know why sugar water wouldn't cause the mites to lose footing  :?

[Brian D. Bray]

The powdered sugar is like graphite.  Makes the bees slippery to the mites and they slide off.  Look Ma, I can't hold on.  Any grooming activite by the bees will dislodge a certain amount of the mites regardless.  It's just that the powder is more effective as it greases the skids as well as inducing hygenic behavior.