Varroa Drop Count TIMING

[CircleBee]

I have a question about Varroa Mites, but let me start with my observation first...keep in mind this is my first year to keep bees...

I did a 48 hour Varroa drop test on one of my hives (started as a package back in April) about two months ago with SBB and Pam sprayed board. I wanted to determine if I needed to treat for mites while the temperature outside was still warm enough to treat. I found NONE, not one mite. Now that it has turned cold I put my board back in the SBB to close the hive up a bit. On a whim I pulled the board out a couple of days ago and there must have been 100+ mites on it. Since then I have pulled it every day to clear the mites off it, and there are still many, many there (maybe 50+ a day).

This may be moot, since I can't treat now with the cold temperatures (days are mid 50s, nights 40-30s), but with counts like these should I be expecting a deadout by winters end?

Am I wrong when I summarize the above by thinking that the drop was low back two months ago because I had a lot of capped brood in the hive at that time and so the mites were in the brood cells. And now with the cold, my queen has reduced/stopped laying, majority of brood has hatched (this was verified by my final inspection of this hive), and now the mites have no where to go but on my adult bees who I am hoping are cleaning these little buggers off themselves to drop out the SBB. I believe THAT is why I now have such a huge mite count, yes or no? If that is true, then it would seem that a Mite Count is dependant upon timing and where your brood cycle is at at that moment in time. Thoughts?

[Michael Bush]

I would assume it's because of the brood emerging as you say.  50 isn't that terrible this time of year.  You could do powdered sugar easily enough.

[CircleBee]

Thanks Michael, I feel a little better about not treating now. I had been doing the PS dustings up to the point it got cold. Appreciate the response.