Treating Mites

[Joelel]

Are hives free without mites most of the time when treating for mites or will they always have some mites most of the time ? How many mites are to many for them to have ? Will they always get some every summer ?

[gardeningfireman]

Actually, they only wear mitts in the winter, not the summer. Six per bee is about right. More than that creates clutter, which bees hate. :-D

[NasalSponge]

Now that is funny!! :-D

[Joelel]

Oh well,Guess no one else knows either.

[RayMarler]

There's always mites in the hives. The goal is to keep the mite populations down to 2% or less of the bee population in the hive.

[Joelel]

There's always mites in the hives. The goal is to keep the mite populations down to 2% or less of the bee population in the hive.

How do you judge having only 2% ? Do you just treat every year if you have them keeping them down the best you can ?

I thank you and everyone here for answering all my questions. My son and I plan on starting a bee farm and we need to learn everything.

I ask alot of questions and notice on some questions I get alot of looks before I get a reply.I guess some of my questions most people just don't know.

I thank everyone for not giving just any off the wall answer.

[BeeHopper]

There's always mites in the hives. The goal is to keep the mite populations down to 2% or less of the bee population in the hive.

How do you judge having only 2% ? Do you just treat every year if you have them keeping them down the best you can ?

I thank you and everyone here for answering all my questions. My son and I plan on starting a bee farm and we need to learn everything.

I ask alot of questions and notice on some questions I get alot of looks before I get a reply.I guess some of my questions most people just don't know.

I thank everyone for not giving just any off the wall answer.

Joelel,

Welcome to Beekeeping, start out small  :-D
Take a Basics Class at your local extension office or private Beekeeper, attend seminars, visit here and setup 2 hives and learn, depending on your learning curve and Luck ( weather, environmental impact, management style, etc ) you can grow. Please do not jump in and buy tons of equipment and bees until you have learned a great deal, beekeeping is a life long lesson and you can easily hurt yourself financially, in other words, don't bite off more than you can chew. One of the things every beekeeper needs to accept is the losses, YOU will inccur losses every year, but the trick is to keep them at a minimum. Good Luck and see you on the Board  :-D

[indypartridge]

There are a lot of variables regarding "how many are too many" mites.

First, how are you counting? With a sticky board and 24 hr drop? With an ether roll? Or sugar roll? Or randomly opening drone cells and checking?

Second, what time of year is it? Early spring? Late summer?

Third, is this a "one time" count, or have you been monitoring them over time?

Fourth, where do you live?

Fifth, what kind of treatment will you use?

Etc.

Here in central Indiana, I use a sticky board and do a 24 hr count. Usually toward the end of summer I see mite counts increasing. If/When I see about 50 mites, then I'll treat with powdered sugar (weekly for 3 weeks; longer if I don't see a significant reduction in the mite count after the 3rd week). My primary goal is to have healthy bees and low counts heading into winter.

[Hethen57]

I was gonna do a sticky board test....and this is probably a dumb question...but, how do you slide the sticky board into the hive when your solid bottom board is covered with bees?  (I have sticky paper and the mite screen, but don't use SBB's).

[Joelel]

I was gonna do a sticky board test....and this is probably a dumb question...but, how do you slide the sticky board into the hive when your solid bottom board is covered with bees?  (I have sticky paper and the mite screen, but don't use SBB's).

You have to have a screened bottom and put it under the screen.

[Hethen57]

Look at the bee catalogs....they sell ones that slide into the hive with wire on top for the bees to walk on.

[Joelel]

Look at the bee catalogs....they sell ones that slide into the hive with wire on top for the bees to walk on.

Blow on the bees ,they will move.

[Joelel]

There's always mites in the hives. The goal is to keep the mite populations down to 2% or less of the bee population in the hive.

How do you judge having only 2% ? Do you just treat every year if you have them keeping them down the best you can ?

I thank you and everyone here for answering all my questions. My son and I plan on starting a bee farm and we need to learn everything.

I ask alot of questions and notice on some questions I get alot of looks before I get a reply.I guess some of my questions most people just don't know.

I thank everyone for not giving just any off the wall answer.

Joelel,

Welcome to Beekeeping, start out small  :-D
Take a Basics Class at your local extension office or private Beekeeper, attend seminars, visit here and setup 2 hives and learn, depending on your learning curve and Luck ( weather, environmental impact, management style, etc ) you can grow. Please do not jump in and buy tons of equipment and bees until you have learned a great deal, beekeeping is a life long lesson and you can easily hurt yourself financially, in other words, don't bite off more than you can chew. One of the things every beekeeper needs to accept is the losses, YOU will inccur losses every year, but the trick is to keep them at a minimum. Good Luck and see you on the Board  :-D

Hi,Yes,You are so right. We have bought very little,just what we think we need as we go. We bought pest control,plastic frames, a Vail, a smoker. We built all of our own hives. We bought one package bees and are doing splits. Mother inlaw gave us extracting equipment for a few dollars.
  I think this forum is the best and fastest place to learn along with alot of info on the net. As we have a question ,we can come here and ask.I think I'm smart enough to know when someone tells me the best and right thing to do.

Thank you very much for your advice.