Mailing list for the Person County Beekeepers Association, Roxboro, NC

[Randall Austin <s.randall.austin AT gmail.com>]

Hey Lelia,

Just to add a bit to Inge's excellent advice, my two cents are:
1) The advice that you don't need to think about mites the first year is outdated, and especially since last year was murder with respect to mites. The only way to know if there is a problem is to check for mite counts with either a "sugar shake test" or a "sticky board test". (There actually is another way --- the "did all my bees die? test" --- but I don't recommend that one!)

2) Test for mite counts before you treat. Not only does that tell you whether you need to treat, but if you test again several weeks afterwards it will tell you how well that particular treatment worked. It is POSSIBLE that you have low mite numbers and so can put off treating until after the nectar flow. However if you do have high numbers, you still have time to treat with MiteAway Quick Strips (formic acid) before the honey flow starts next month. In fact the MAQS label says you can have them on during the honey flow, but I wouldn't. It may be perfectly safe but it isn't going to help the taste of the honey! Whatever treatment you use, follow the label directions very carefully and pay special attention to the ambient temperature requirements.

A very easy way of doing the sugar shake test is found here:
http://www.mannlakeltd.com/publications/PSsampling.pdf
Use nurse bees off the brood frames, but make sure you don't shake the queen!

An even easier way to do the sugar shake test is to get somebody else in the Person bee club to come help you! I'm sure you'd get lots of volunteers if you ask. 

Randall Austin

On Tue, Mar 12, 2013 at 2:10 PM, Lelia Gentry <heartandhandsfarm AT gmail.com> wrote:

Would like some advice. I just found out that a friend of mine,
mother, lost her 2 bee hives. The bees were fine 10 days ago and now
almost all are dead. She has been feeding the winter. This same thing
happened 2 years ago. Told by state lab 2 years ago that bees died
from varroa mites.

So, my question, I got my 2 hives last spring. I was told I did not
need to treat for varroa the first season since bees treated prior to
delivery. So, should I treat now before nectar flow? My hives seem
healthy. Should I do sticky board?

Thanks ahead of time. Lelia