How Bad Is It? Using Mite-Drop Counts to Measure & Control Varroa Infestation

By Larry VandeVenter — Boston beekeeper; BABA and Classroom Hives board member.
Like pinballs, mites regularly fall off bees and end up on the hive’s bottom board.  Counting the number of fallen mites that land on pull-out trays under screened bottom boards can accurately measure a hive’s mite infestation levels. 
Larry has translated three years of mite-drop counts to give beekeepers a remarkably accurate picture of mite infestation levels inside their hives.  He will describe the process, including taking counts and making calculations, and share data throughout his study.
The two more common, but sometimes less accurate, methods of monitoring mites (the ‘sugar roll’ and ‘alcohol wash’) will be described, and their efficacy will be discussed and compared to one another and Larry’s data.  Treatment methods and schedules will be discussed briefly; a more thorough look at treatments will follow over the next two months.  The talk will wrap up with a question-and-answer period.
To get the Zoom details for this event, please contact President@BostonBeekeepers.org