Bee Gym

[flyboy]

Has anyone tried this? http://www.beegym.co.uk/in_action.html

Looks interesting albeit a tad pricey.

[mtnb]

Wow. That is super interesting. I like those little brushes. Those are what my hubby uses to clean guns. Seems like it would be easy enough to make something similar.

Whenever I see pictures of mites, they're usually on the bee's back. This guy's saying they cling on more underneath?

[flyboy]

The brushes seem like an idea but maybe they would give the mite something to cling to rather than be knocked to the screened floor where there are ejected.

Something could easily be cobbled up with the brushes to try tho. Price is right.

[SlickMick]

Being in a country without varroa (although we don't know for how long) I am sure that many of us here don't know very much about it only that it causes severe problems in those countries where it exists.

I believe that the mite drains the body fluids of the bee by making some sort of attachment to the bee. It seems from this forum that it can't be a permanent attachment. Or is it? That the mite can be forcefully removed by the bee using these brushes tends to suggest that its attachment is temporary. Is the mite able to reattach once it's dislodged?

Mick

[Michael Bush]

>I believe that the mite drains the body fluids of the bee by making some sort of attachment to the bee.

I wouldn't exactly say "drains".  But it does suck the hemolymph just like a tick sucks our blood.

> It seems from this forum that it can't be a permanent attachment. Or is it?

No.  Not permanent.

> That the mite can be forcefully removed by the bee using these brushes tends to suggest that its attachment is temporary.

Can't say about the brushes, but it attaches itself to a bee only until it gets the opportunity to get into a larvae cell just before it's capped.

>Is the mite able to reattach once it's dislodged?

Yes.

[SlickMick]

Thanks Michael, that clarifies things for me.

Mick

[Blacksheep]

Hi Guys: I ordered on of the bee gym's so I will try it out to see if it works.In the film looks like the bees enjoy the scratching!Exchange rates are bad now as the 12.50 item cost me 27.58  I was going to oder 4 but saw the total and chickened out and only ordered 1 of them.I will let you all know if it works!

[BeeMaster2]

Blacksheep,
I do not know how it is designed but if there is not a place for the mites to fall into and get trapped or unless you have a screen bottom board, it will not do much good. If you have solid bottom boards, the mites will just climb back on the next bee that walks by.
Jim,

[Blacksheep]

Hi Guys: I have all screen bottom boards with oil pans under that screen.The pans have mineral oil in them and they do work for beetles I know as I can see them in the oil.The mites get it to the comb cells and lay their eggs and make a mess of the comb and the bees won't have anything to do with it after they mess it ALL UP.I have read best to put a drone  frame in and let the bees fill it with drones and remove it before it hatches and freeze it for a few days and then remove and un cap it and put it back in the hive and the bees will clean it out.The mite love the drone combs best and that is a good target for them.

[jayj200]

Mick
just thought you might want to know

them down under send bees to the states during the almond season. question do they go back?
just thought I'd ask

[SlickMick]

G'day Jay,
I would be really surprised if they were allowed back in as Australia's quarantine laws are really tight and there is understanding that we are the only continent where varroa doesn't exist and the extent of its threat to the industry.

Mick

[GSF]

I never saw a mite get knocked/scratched off in the film.

[HillBilly2]

Easy enough to verify I guess, just use a sticky board under them. There should be a red rectangular area on it of dead mites.

[Blacksheep]

I plan on making a sticky board and put it under the Bee Gym to see  if it works!I hope it does as the bees seem to like scratching in it as some went back for more rubs.Bee seem to learn quick.

[GSF]

Yall keep everybody posted. Sounds interesting. Folks put up treated things in pastures for the cows to scratch on. So why not modify something for the bees?