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Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

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  • From: "Janet Austin" <jcaustin AT visionet.org>
  • To: "'Orange County, NC Beekeepers'" <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] 1/8 inch mesh
  • Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 20:58:16 -0500

Title: Message
The discussion about using window mesh for the sugar shake test got me curious. It's a bit cold today to do a real test with real mites, but I got a piece of window screen to see if this would be too fine for mites to fall through. Exactly how big is a varroa mite? An old NCSU publication written by John Ambrose says, "This reddish-brown mite is about the size of a pin head..." That seems slightly small from my visual observations of mites, but Dr. Ambrose ought to know best. So I got a pin and tested to see if the head would pass through my window screen. Nope, it wouldn't fit. So I can only assume that a mite wouldn't either, especially if it was kicking and screaming & covered with sugar.
 
Maybe I've got unusually fat pins and unusually tight window mesh, but they appear 'normal' to me. Has anyone used window screen for the shake test and gotten good results?
 
(FYI for newbees: the point of the sugar shake test is to put a bunch of bees in a jar and dump a couple of tablespoons of powdered sugar on them. The jar has a screened lid. The sugar causes the mites to fall off the bees. You shake the jar over a white surface; the sugar and the mites fall out. The bees are still in the jar. You then count the mites to see how badly you are infested). 
 
Randall Austin
 
-----Original Message-----
From: ocba-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:ocba-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Tom Wright
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 1:18 PM
To: Wilson Lamb; Orange County, NC Beekeepers
Subject: Re: [ocba] 1/8 inch mesh

Wilson Lamb wrote:
I'd bet some window screen would work almost as well.  Might take a few more shakes.
Wilson
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 9:47 AM
Subject: [ocba] 1/8 inch mesh

We have been unable to find any place where we could buy jars with mesh lids (for the sugar shake test) or any place with 1/8 inch mesh where we could buy less than a whole roll. Is there anyone with some 1/8 inch mesh lying around from whom we could buy a piece to make our own mesh lid? Or does anyone know of a store that sells small amounts? Thanks.  -Elisabeth


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Wilson is correct. The 1/8 is best used on bottom boards to let mithe and SHB fall through.

Most True Value hardware stores have rolls of hardware cloth and will sell small quantities.

MS Tom



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