Mite counts

funbee1 · September 01, 2012, 06:08:14 PM

This is my first year of beekeeping and I keep seeing all different numbers for mite counts.

I started three hives this spring from three pound packages. Two have done very well and one has struggled(lots of dead and crawling bees in front of hive plus lost queen).

I did my first sticky board mite count and got just about 100 mites in 28 hours on each of the hives. My best hive actually had 50 dead bees on it, several of which had visible mites on them.

I will do two more days of sticky boards just to have a better sample.

Seems like a lot of mites for first year hives.

What is the best count method?
What is the number at which I should panic?
Is there a point when there is no saving a colony and I should just harvest all honey and buy new bees in the Spring?

Thanks,
scott

AllenF · September 01, 2012, 08:16:42 PM

There is no correct answers to those questions. Way too many variables and too many different beeks out doing it all different ways. And the not saving a hive, only when the hive is beyond saving. And that is normally when there are not enough bees left in the hive to make it. Do a fall treatment for the mites to knock them down before winter.

Steer53 · October 19, 2012, 10:29:24 AM

Funbee1, wondering if you had a update on your situation?

BeeMaster2 · October 19, 2012, 01:17:09 PM

Sounds to me like you need new queens with better hygienics traits. If you can keep these bees alive this winter, I would get new queens in the spring.
Jim

Gary and Margaret - kiwimana · October 19, 2012, 07:08:25 PM

Hi,

There are many methods to count mites, the best advice to to stick to the same method, so you can compare your counts from month to month.

We use a drop count over three days with our Meshboards, and divide the mite count by the three. Which gives us an average drop rate per day.

We generally treat if we get more than twenty a day.

Here is a blog post we did that explains the process in more detail:-
http://kiwimana.co.nz/2012/02/11/mite-counting-with-a-kiwimana-meshboard/

Linda32 · March 25, 2013, 03:34:35 PM

And that is normally when there are not enough bees remaining in the hive to create it. Do a drop strategy to the insects to affect them down before winter.

BeeMaster2 · March 25, 2013, 11:29:10 PM

Quote from: Linda32 on March 25, 2013, 03:34:35 PM
And that is normally when there are not enough bees remaining in the hive to create it. Do a drop strategy to the insects to affect them down before winter.

If you don't treat them, the bees that survive are the ones that have the genetics to handle the mites and the beetles. And then you have a much stronger stock to build from.
Jim

Finski · March 26, 2013, 05:55:11 AM

Quote from: funbee1 on September 01, 2012, 06:08:14 PM
This is my first year of beekeeping and I keep seeing all different numbers for mite counts.

I started three hives this spring from three pound packages. Two have done very well and one has struggled(lots of dead and crawling bees in front of hive plus lost queen).

I did my first sticky board mite count and got just about 100 mites in 28 hours on each of the hives. My best hive actually had 50 dead bees on it, several of which had visible mites on them.

situation is really bad. You need treatment at once. You need not count any more.

Formic acid and thymol treatments are meant to broodhives.
Oxalic acid destroyes brood too much.

Sugar dusting is uneffective.

Finski · March 26, 2013, 06:04:03 AM

Quote from: AllenF on September 01, 2012, 08:16:42 PM
There is no correct answers to those questions. Way too many variables and too many different beeks out doing it all different ways. And the not saving a hive, only when the hive is beyond saving. And that is normally when there are not enough bees left in the hive to make it. Do a fall treatment for the mites to knock them down before winter.

there are very correct answers that situation. Rearchers have carefully revieled out, what to do.

You need not follow all advices what these "catch and release" beeks here arvice, or those "do nothing guys".

Michael Bush · March 26, 2013, 10:32:53 AM

Part of the problem with thresholds on mite counts is none that I have seen take into account the size of the colony, the time of year, the amount of brood etc. The number of mites that is normal in the spring is much smaller than the number that is normal in the fall when brood rearing ceases and all the mites are phoretic.

The typical numbers quoted, however, are 50 or so mites in a 24 hour natural drop being the economic threshold.

Finski · March 26, 2013, 01:28:01 PM

.
We speak NOW About 3 hives which are in bad condition. One is loosing its brood.
It is March now and not fall. Colonies should be quite clean.
But fact is that if the hive has not brood break, mite killing is laborous job.

3 weeks treatment with thymol or with formic acid with flash treatment.

.

Bradeeen · August 13, 2013, 06:07:41 AM

According to my opinion you can't count mites. Some of these are not effect our normal life but some of these are very harmful and cause of many diseases for us. There are many methods to count mites, the best advice to to stick to the same method, so you can compare your counts from month to month.