Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DISEASE & PEST CONTROL => Topic started by: sadvic on September 10, 2007, 05:03:05 pm
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How are some ways that I can check my hives for mites. What is this sticky board?
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You can use a sheet of contact paper or anything sticky. Slide it in under the SBB and count the mites that are stuck to it after 3 days (to get an average of daily drop). Some people use the plastic or cardboard tray that comes with the SBB and spray it with Pam or Mazola cooking spray.
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Powdered sugar roll:
http://entomology.unl.edu/beekpg/tidings/btid2000/btdjan00.htm#Article2
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/entomology/apiculture/PDF%20files/2.03.pdf
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Another quick check is to pull open some capped drone brood and look for mites. If you pull open 10 or so, you'll get a pretty good idea of the mite population. If you think there is an issue, then do a more time consuming (and accurate) test.
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Thank you Moonshoe, MicBush and Robo for the advice on checking for mites.
I think I am going to like this site.
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I like it a lot, myself. :)
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Do you count every mite you see regardless of its size and color? It seems someone once posted that you only really need to count the large, darker mites as these are the females or something. I suppose this is just wishful thinking to get my own mite counts down.
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twb. Do some research. "Google" mites. When you do, you will see that you do not count all the mites. You want to count the mature female mites. But you must do some research. There is so much advantage to going onto sites on the internet. Check it out, look and learn. This is your job to become a great beekeeper, and you will, but you must read, learn, important stuff. Have the best and wonderful day, on our great earth. Cindi
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Thanks, Cindi. Good idea. I will do it. I am here to learn. I tell people I wish to learn(about bees) as much as I can as fast as I can. Sometimes I think to myself with a sigh, "but not all by personal experience". I spoke with an old man at a beek conference and he told me that he, after many years of beekeeping, is still learning. You gotta love that about bees.
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TWB. That ol' beekeeper is 100% bang on with what he said about being an old time beekeeper and still learning.
My experience. Began in April 2005 with two levels of beekeeping, one right after the other. As many little seminars that I could attend, taking a 5 day course at our local university (gained a "Beemasters Certificate"), but so what. I am not even close to becoming a beemaster, the certificate just tells me so, heeee, heeee :) ;) :). Reading books and reading more books, sitting for 2 years with pen and paper by my side, jotting down every extra important bit of information, typing all that important information into a great document for my perusal, and reading some more. Joining this fantastic forum to ask questions and get fantastic answers. Getting my packages in April of 2005 and having hands on experience ever since that time.
This is my "experience" in a nutshell. Take your time, all good things take time, we are all familiar with that ol' expression, and I am the biggest believer of that in itself!!!!!
I feel that I am still only on the very tip of that iceberg, and know that I will be learning for another _________ years, that number is completely unknown ;) :) :) :) So......you have lots of work ahead of you, if you can call it work. Why don't we term this not work, but heading off into a future of wonderful feelings and experiences with your girls (and the guys are there too, but not as many numbers, oh dear). Love this new adventure that you have embarked upon, once you had that taste of the lifestyle of the honeybee, I think it is very hard to turn back :) :) :) Have a wonderful and beautiful day, gotta love this life we're livin'. Cindi