Very Nice video presentation! I learned two new tricks - tickling with grass to drive them down in (cool) and spraying the plate for mites to stick to and the water also somewhat dissolved the sugar which enhanced mite viewing! Anytime I can learn something new, my day is complete! Thumbs Up and thanks for the great start to my day :) I've never had more than 2 mites from a single colony, but I'll keep trying and watching.
Excellent discussed. In Croati we also use the same method for counting varroa but nobody mentioned spraying with water to make them easier to see. From now on I'll use your method. Greetings from Croatia ....
I saw Australian honey bee biosecurity guy use a bucket of water, that is also effective if you don't have spray bottle. Powdered sugar dissolves and drops away, mites float on surface of water. Very similar idea.
I love how you treat your bees with honor there's not enuf bee keepers like you. Me and my brother have 2 honey bee hives and we were wondering if we should treat are hive we treated it in the beginning off the year
Thank-you very much for that excellent demonstration...I put my heart and soul into my bees and they in return work so hard for me...even though they are considered "just an insect" by many I find it heartbreaking to kill 300 bees at a time by drowning them in alcohol...they have nerves and feel pain like any other organism...this will be my preferred method of checking for mites...thank-you very much!!
Thanks Dennis. Monitoring for mites and taking subsequent action when necessary is the single best thing you can do for your bees. And, unironically, by not killing 300 bees you are also helping to ensure the survival of tens of thousands more :) Keep up the good work!
How do you manage to not get stung by hundreds of angry bees after you bang the frame like that?!? Awsome video and amazing skill and confidence with the bees.
Unhappy to read Domino 10X sugar has cornstarch in it, as do all others. I’ve opted for organic 10X with tapioca starch. Fingers crossed as this is my 1st try with this mite assessment method using bees from a TBH.
This was a very informative video, thank you. I live in Iowa and it is September 8th the honey supers of off and my question is would it be to late to treat using Apivar they recommend treating for 42 days. Thanks.
I noticed when you did this technique that you were the only one I've seen with the opening pointed down 100% of the time. Many videos people aren't doing this. I wanted to ask you if this makes a difference in getting 'true' numbers, on whether or not the jar is pointed opening down all the time? And do you agree with the idea or not about some people stating you have to use a ratio figure (often quoted as 3 times) to convert the mite figures in a sugar shake method, to the other alcohol method? (Or is it just that if they are doing the sugar shake the right way it should equal the alcohol methods numbers, without needing conversion if its done right?) Thanks!
Unboxing cricket tweet sent me here. I can't stop feeling itchy on my back and cringed so hard. Only me, no? Anyway very educational to learn new thing >
Hi Jorik, I'm a new beekeeper as of this past April. I am not sure what product to use for treating mites. What do you recommend? or what do you think of Apiguard?
Hi I live in New Zealand and I like to use this method, I like the touch with the spray I have a Bio Hazard book on the varroa mite and it says that the sugar method shouldnt be used during honey season due to the mite sticking to the bees. Do you agree with this?
Not sure I follow you. This method can be used all season and is a great alternative to using ether or alcohol which kills the bee sample. It's not as accurate but it's close and I just hate killing bees if I don't have to.
I thought it was # of mites per 100 bees. According to the University of Minnesota Instructional Poster #155, Gary S. Reuter and Marla Spivak, Department of Entomology--1 fluid oz. = approximately 100 bees. 1/4 cup = approximately 200 bees. I don't want to over treat my bees. I do like the seasonal variation comment, the spraying trick and the grass tickling also..
I'd make one suggestion: don't return the frame to the hive right away. You feel you need to hurry to get back to the jar of bees and so you returned the frame kind of quickly, which risks rolling the queen, if she's on the adjacent frame. Set the frame down, cap the jar, and then gently return the frame.
Last time I did an alcohol wash I used the queen... Damn, I was bummed. I tried for 30 minutes to 'fix' her, no luck. It was my favorite hive too. Ugg.
Very Nice video presentation! I learned two new tricks - tickling with grass to drive them down in (cool) and spraying the plate for mites to stick to and the water also somewhat dissolved the sugar which enhanced mite viewing! Anytime I can learn something new, my day is complete! Thumbs Up and thanks for the great start to my day :) I've never had more than 2 mites from a single colony, but I'll keep trying and watching.
This is one of the best videos and explanation of how to check for mites that I have seen. Great job.
Excellent discussed. In Croati we also use the same method for counting varroa but nobody mentioned spraying with water to make them easier to see. From now on I'll use your method. Greetings from Croatia ....
I saw Australian honey bee biosecurity guy use a bucket of water, that is also effective if you don't have spray bottle. Powdered sugar dissolves and drops away, mites float on surface of water. Very similar idea.
I've never seen the "tickle". I like it...
I love how you treat your bees with honor there's not enuf bee keepers like you. Me and my brother have 2 honey bee hives and we were wondering if we should treat are hive we treated it in the beginning off the year
Thank-you very much for that excellent demonstration...I put my heart and soul into my bees and they in return work so hard for me...even though they are considered "just an insect" by many I find it heartbreaking to kill 300 bees at a time by drowning them in alcohol...they have nerves and feel pain like any other organism...this will be my preferred method of checking for mites...thank-you very much!!
Thanks Dennis. Monitoring for mites and taking subsequent action when necessary is the single best thing you can do for your bees. And, unironically, by not killing 300 bees you are also helping to ensure the survival of tens of thousands more :) Keep up the good work!
How do you manage to not get stung by hundreds of angry bees after you bang the frame like that?!? Awsome video and amazing skill and confidence with the bees.
Thanks, Jorik! I want to start a hive next spring, so I plan to pick your brain next time I see you.
awesome video! great quality.
Excellent information! Thank you!
You are very welcome!
Very nicely done. Thanks.
Thanks for this!
Unhappy to read Domino 10X sugar has cornstarch in it, as do all others. I’ve opted for organic 10X with tapioca starch. Fingers crossed as this is my 1st try with this mite assessment method using bees from a TBH.
This was a very informative video, thank you. I live in Iowa and it is September 8th the honey supers of off and my question is would it be to late to treat using Apivar they recommend treating for 42 days. Thanks.
I noticed when you did this technique that you were the only one I've seen with the opening pointed down 100% of the time. Many videos people aren't doing this.
I wanted to ask you if this makes a difference in getting 'true' numbers, on whether or not the jar is pointed opening down all the time?
And do you agree with the idea or not about some people stating you have to use a ratio figure (often quoted as 3 times) to convert the mite figures in a sugar shake method, to the other alcohol method? (Or is it just that if they are doing the sugar shake the right way it should equal the alcohol methods numbers, without needing conversion if its done right?)
Thanks!
Unboxing cricket tweet sent me here. I can't stop feeling itchy on my back and cringed so hard. Only me, no? Anyway very educational to learn new thing >
what was the name of the product he recommended to use as a treatment (what brand of strips). very helpful video, thanks.
How big of holes did you screw in the lid of the mason jar to get the powdered sugar out?
Hi Jorik, I'm a new beekeeper as of this past April. I am not sure what product to use for treating mites. What do you recommend? or what do you think of Apiguard?
Hi I live in New Zealand and I like to use this method, I like the touch with the spray I have a Bio Hazard book on the varroa mite and it says that the sugar method shouldnt be used during honey season due to the mite sticking to the bees. Do you agree with this?
Not sure I follow you.
This method can be used all season and is a great alternative to using ether or alcohol which kills the bee sample. It's not as accurate but it's close and I just hate killing bees if I don't have to.
according to the dominos bag in north Carolina it has cornstarch in it.
That's powder sugar not regular sugar correct?
they don't sting you?
for messing with them, shaking them?
also maybe I did it wrong but I found no mites. is that unusual?
Is there a way to prevent your bees from getting mites?
Nah :-(
Where do you get the #8 screen? Thanks!
Rick Bevers i
I thought it was # of mites per 100 bees. According to the University of Minnesota Instructional Poster #155, Gary S. Reuter and Marla Spivak, Department of Entomology--1 fluid oz. = approximately 100 bees. 1/4 cup = approximately 200 bees. I don't want to over treat my bees.
I do like the seasonal variation comment, the spraying trick and the grass tickling also..
I tried this, how do you stop them stinging your throat when drinking the shake?
Drink slowly! :)
?do you now about oxalic acid?
I'd make one suggestion: don't return the frame to the hive right away. You feel you need to hurry to get back to the jar of bees and so you returned the frame kind of quickly, which risks rolling the queen, if she's on the adjacent frame. Set the frame down, cap the jar, and then gently return the frame.
Last time I did an alcohol wash I used the queen... Damn, I was bummed. I tried for 30 minutes to 'fix' her, no luck. It was my favorite hive too. Ugg.