I don't see ANY varroa.

Oblio13 · July 01, 2013, 09:53:48 AM

Went through two hives yesterday. Opened a lot of drone brood, looked at the bottom boards with a magnifying glass. Couldn't find a single mite. Anyone else had this experience? No doubt they're around, but they're apparently beaten down pretty well for some reason. I think this is my eighth year with bees, never treated with anything.

Michael Bush · July 01, 2013, 09:57:54 AM

When I split all my hives a few weeks ago and looked at all the drone larvae between the boxes that broke open, I did not see a single Varroa...

RC · July 01, 2013, 05:12:22 PM

Me either. No mites and since Febuary, only one SHB. I also have never treated with anything. Just reduced entrances and full sun.

BlueBee · July 01, 2013, 07:05:03 PM

Maybe all the mites have moved to Michigan. :-D

I have mites, but some years do seem worse than others for some reason.

Now what you need is an optical sorter on your hive entrances. Any bees coming back with varroa on them, don't get let in. :police:

10framer · July 01, 2013, 07:46:57 PM

saw my first one about a week ago. i was taking pictures of bees on a bottom board with a telephoto lens and saw one on the thorax of one worker. i'm not going to worry about it for now. i went through most of my hives saturday and didn't notice any. beetles are a different story.

Steel Tiger · July 02, 2013, 04:20:32 PM

I popped open a few drone cells and even caught a couple drones to look at and saw no mites. I saw and crushed 1 SHB the day after I installed and haven't seen any since.
I'm using foundationlass frames and no treatments. I'll still be keeping my eyes peeled for them and will decide what to do if and when I see them.

Finski · July 02, 2013, 04:48:11 PM

Quote from: BlueBee on July 01, 2013, 07:05:03 PM

but some years do seem worse than others for some reason.

That is real knowledge.

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BlueBee · July 02, 2013, 05:31:03 PM

Some years we have a hot summer, some years we don't. If you can predict the cycles of nature in advance, maybe you should go work in the futures markets. ;) Hey, at least I'm not in denial. I know there are varroa in the hives; even if I don't see too many.

The varroa sure aren't slowing them down this summer. I was out working in a field behind my bees when all of a sudden I was surrounded by a cloud of bees. You never like to see that happen. :(

Finski · July 02, 2013, 05:36:16 PM

Quote from: BlueBee on July 02, 2013, 05:31:03 PM
Some years we have a hot summer, some years we don't. If you can predict the cycles of nature in advance, maybe you should go work in the futures markets. ;) Hey, at least I'm not in denial. I know there are varroa in the hives; even if I don't see too many.
The varroa sure aren't slowing them down this summer. I was out working in a field behind my bees when all of a sudden I was surrounded by a cloud of bees. You never like to see that happen. :(

Blaa blaa blaa.

Mites are different amount in different hives and in different years. What then. It makes no difference how you treat them. You just kill.
I do not count them. I just kill. I may look them after killing.

To count mites is not my favorite.
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