Varroa check with Marla Spivak powder sugar method.avi

[jtotten1313]

Thank you for responding! I understand now. I was also wondering when I should check for the mites? I am in South Florida on the Gulf coast. I just started feeding my hives sugar water 1:1 and checked the brood frames but don't see any mites. What should I look for when deciding if I need to check for mites? I hear that if the queen is laying in a funky pattern (not connected brood cells) this could be an indicator. What precipitates your checking the frames for mites? Thanks!!!

[juhanilunden]

@jtotten1313 The problem is that when you see the mites, its almost too late to do anything!

Checking the mite levels should be every beekeepers routine work. Twice a year, for example in the spring and before autumn feeding. There are many other methods too, like putting a sticky board on the hive bottom and letting the mites fall in that. But you must be aware, that no ants for example can come and eat the mites before you come and count them.

[jtotten1313]

I don't understand why you put the powder on the bees and then shook them into the bucket. Why didn't you just shake the bees in the container over the bucket without the white powder? Does the sugar powder make them let go of the bee or something? Thank you for posting this.

[juhanilunden]

@jtotten1313 Powder sugar (dust sugar) separates the varroa mites from the bees. Don´t ask why or how, I don´t know. If you just shake the bees without sugar, nothing comes out, that´s for sure. The mites are under the abdomens shilds, they hold on, no matter how hard you shake.