How do You monitor for varroa?

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Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forums > BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER > DISEASE and PEST CONTROL > How do You monitor for varroa?

Poll

Question:

How do You monitor for varroa mites? (Voting closed: October 13, 2009, 06:24:37 PM)

I don't monitor	2 (12.5%)
Visually - I look for them on bees	3 (18.8%)
Sticky board or oil trap under SBB	7 (43.8%)
Sugar shake (correct term?)	0 (0%)
Sampling drone brood	2 (12.5%)
Other method - please explain	1 (6.3%)
I don't have bees yet	0 (0%)
I have bees, but I'm so new I don't have an answer	1 (6.3%)

Total Voters: 16

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Author

Topic: How do You monitor for varroa? (Read 979 times)

David LaFerney

Field Bee

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Gender: Male

Posts: 924

Location: Cookeville, TN - U.S.A.

How do You monitor for varroa?

« on: September 29, 2009, 06:24:37 PM »

I know that I've heard some other people here say that they only treat for mites when they have a problem, and I'm wondering how you know you have a problem. I've never seen a mite on a bee this summer, but after building oil traps for SHB I saw some varroa floating in the oil within only a couple of hours of changing the bottom boards for the traps. This is not good, but I should have known.

Anyway, how do YOU monitor for varroa mites?


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"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." Samuel Clemens

Putting the "ape" in apiary since 2009.

AR Beekeeper

House Bee

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Gender: Male

Posts: 68

Location: Mountain View, Stone Co., Arkansas

Re: How do You monitor for varroa?

« Reply #1 on: September 30, 2009, 10:15:34 AM »

I do a 24 hr natural mite fall count. I do this for 3 days and then average to get the 24 hr average drop.


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jdpro5010

House Bee

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Gender: Male

Posts: 290

Location: Leetonia, Ohio

Re: How do You monitor for varroa?

« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2009, 02:03:24 PM »

Alcohol Wash


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Michael Bush

Universal Bee

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Gender: Male

Posts: 12632

Location: Greenwood, NE

Re: How do You monitor for varroa?

« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2009, 08:44:52 PM »

I used to do sugar shakes, natural drop and open up some drone brood. Now I just keep my eyes open and once in a while a drone gets opened up that actually has one, or I see one on the back of a bee. I couldn't find any natural drop the last few times I looked and got none on the sugar shakes.


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Michael Bush
My website: bushfarms.com/bees.htm
My book: ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--Rick Nielsen

David LaFerney

Field Bee

Offline

Gender: Male

Posts: 924

Location: Cookeville, TN - U.S.A.

Re: How do You monitor for varroa?

« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2009, 09:33:51 PM »

Quote from: jdpro5010 on October 01, 2009, 02:03:24 PM

Alcohol Wash

I assume that means you put some bees in a container with some alcohol. Why do you think this method is better for you to use than a non lethal one like a sugar shake?


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"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." Samuel Clemens

Putting the "ape" in apiary since 2009.

jdpro5010

House Bee

Offline

Gender: Male

Posts: 290

Location: Leetonia, Ohio

Re: How do You monitor for varroa?

« Reply #5 on: October 06, 2009, 09:50:36 AM »

iT IS FASTER EASIER AND CLEANER THAN ETHER IN MY OPINION