Pointers for The usage of the XXX cup for Tracking Varroa
TAKING THE SAMPLE
- Use an 18-quart dishwashing bathtub and a chrome steel 1/2 cup (125 mL) measuring cup (for measuring reside bees, a deep cup is extra correct than a shallow cup).
- Take the bee pattern from a body (or frames) adjoining to the broodnest, however now not containing open brood — this may occasionally very much cut back the danger of the queen being at the body (test for her), and the pattern might be maximum consultant of the colony as a complete.
- Use a snap shake or brush to dislodge the bees from the body into the bathtub (younger bees grasp on tighter than do outdated bees).
- Wait about 30 seconds for the older bees to fly off, shaking the bathtub, if vital, to distribute the bees frivolously. If greater than a cup of bees stay within the bathtub, scoop out the surplus as a way to extra simply spot an inadvertently-shaken queen (the younger bees will typically unfold out frivolously over the bathtub).
- Tilt and faucet the bathtub firmly to shake the bees right into a pile alongside one edge, and tip/scoop your half-cup pattern of them into the cup. For essentially the most correct studying, use your finger to stage them off sooner than dumping them into the wash cup (younger bees don’t sting).
PERFORMING THE WASH TO SEPARATE THE MITES
We don’t love to kill a bee any longer than you do, however really feel that any colony would gladly sacrifice a handful of staff in an effort to save you going through an unpleasant dying because of a varroa/virus overload. Our favourite agitation resolution to make use of for keeping apart the mites from the bees is Crack of dawn Extremely detergent (2 tsp/quart water), however the XXX cup will even paintings with alcohol (use 90+% for perfect mite restoration), or powdered sugar for dry shaking (this doesn’t kill the bees, however produces inconsistent restoration).
For both Crack of dawn or alcohol, first fill the cup to the road with resolution, unload within the bee pattern and straight away snap at the lid. Permit one minute for the mites to liberate from the bees, then gently swirl (don’t shake) the cup for a minute to precipitate the mites down during the bee our bodies. Swirl simply strongly sufficient in order that the entire bee our bodies are in movement – lively agitation is counterproductive, because it helps to keep the mites stirred again up within the bees!
For a sugar shake, first position a tablespoon of powdered sugar into the cup, upload the bees, snap at the lid, after which invert the cup backward and forward till the bees are frivolously lined. Wait a minute, then preserving the cups the other way up vigorously shake them up and down for a minute. Then pull off the outer cup and invert the interior cup over a white bathtub of water, and proceed to shake it and the bees over the water till not more sugar (and mites) fall. The sugar will briefly dissolve into the water, leaving the mites briefly floating at the floor for counting. The shaken bees will also be returned to their hive.
DETERMINING THE MITE COUNT AFTER A WASH
Upon getting separated the mites from the bees, take away the interior cup and discard the bees (compost them at the flooring or save them for nosema microscopy). Then put for your studying glasses and raise the cup to view the ground to depend the mites. Higher but, dangle the cup 4 inches above a 10x magnifying replicate to magnify the mites for simple id. This might be your “mite depend” (you’ll be able to divide the depend by means of 3 to approximate the “share mite infestation price if you want).
TREATMENT THRESHOLDS FOR COLONY HEALTH AND SURVIVAL
As long as a colony’s mite depend is under 2, varroa and its related viruses have little affect upon colony well being. Viruses start to change into an issue at counts above 6 mites, and colony efficiency declines noticeably as soon as the depend exceeds 15. A depend above 40 will most likely lead to forthcoming colony cave in.
The important thing idea is to be proactive and keep forward of the exponential price of mite replica — the upper the mite depend, the speedier the velocity of build up! When colonies are rearing brood, be expecting the mite depend to double each and every month. Don’t be fooled by means of low counts in April – at the moment many of the mites are hidden within the brood, and gained’t display up in a mite wash!
To care for optimum colony well being, your remedy threshold counts can be:
January – April: zero-2 mites.
June-July: not more than 6 mites.
Mid-August: 0 out the mites in preparation for his or her essential autumn brood rearing.
October – November: colonies would possibly live on in the event that they input the iciness in November with a depend of as much as 10 mites, however they’ll have a greater likelihood if you happen to get the depend right down to the zero-2 vary (an oxalic acid or Hopguard remedy when they cross broodless truly is helping).
Relying upon what number of months the bees have interaction in brood rearing for your space, it’s going to take one to 3 95% discounts of the mite inhabitants (by means of no matter method) over the process the season to care for the above low ranges of infestation. Your bees will thanks for serving to them!