Beekeeping: Avoid This BIG Mistake for An Accurate Mite Tests

[@davidhefner5668]

I have bounced around among various videos and this guy is the best.

[@WildwoodsBeekeeping]

Good Job David, Great Job at explaining mite tests and how to get more accurate Mite Tests. Good stuff 👍

[@AndyBylin-q9h]

Hi David - you're awesome a new video every day!!! many thanks!!

[@47billyboy47]

Wow thank you for this mite Count video. I always just shook for 2 minutes vigorously and that was my count. BUT I will now use water to wash check 2 more times to get a more accurate count… thank you again.. Battersbees Omemee Ontario Canada

[@duanevonbargen7516]

Kind of like the science classes and where I work. Triple rinse to make sure things are rinsed and cleaned. Stands to reason to do the same with the mite counts. Good subject today.

[@brianbennett4374]

Thanks for the video David 😊

[@jayglosser2014]

Great Video David, I did this last year and I was able to control mites. Hopefully no mites made it through the winter. Oh, by the way it's snowing today here in Orangeville, WNY..

[@PatrickJones-h1c]

I wish I had tested after using Apivar last fall, but the weather had gotten cool so I didn't. The hive that had the worst mites is very weak this spring. A lesson learned!!

[@terrypickens7155]

Most excellent class, keep going

[@deanreichert6535]

Thanks David. New to beekeeping and with all our research we're shocked at the "treat but not test" number of comments we hear. Love your courses as well.

[@geckoproductions4128]

good, timely advice. Thank you

[@seanmccaughey3667]

You can use a torch or heat gun to pop the bubbles similar to popping bubbles in epoxy

[@chuckgross6024]

I had the apivar issue last summer, tested had 3 or 4 on one hive and 5 or 6 on the other. Treated with apivar, tested after that treatment was done and each hive had 16 to 20 mites! I was sooo worried I was going to lose them! I hit them with oa every 10 days for just over a month. They made it through the winter and are doing well this spring. I'm not planning on using apivar in the future, at least not with out an abundance of caution.

[@bunhelsingslegacy3549]

Yeah I think we had three hives where Apivar did its job and one that was a mite bomb after treatment, so we hit them all with OA every week or so till it got too cold. The mite bomb and the one beside it that had one mite when I did post-Apivar testing (mite bomb had 30) had screened bottom boards and we got heavy mite drop from the mite bomb with the first OAV and maybe 20 mites from the one that had one mite in the wash. When we checked the bottom boards during Apivar treatment there was comparable mite drop but a lot of the ones we found were still alive on the bottom board.

[@clarksbent9399]

Thanks Dave! I am a first time keeper and am worried about mites.

[@beek]

You and me both! Glad you are able to recognize the importance of control mites as a new beekeeper. Many beekeepers pay little attention to mites and lose their hives.

[@Steele_Wings]

Mr. Burns it is hard testing for mite in the spring due to swarms and virgin queens and splits. 3 of my colonies absconded in mid July after necter flow due to mites last year. I couldn't treat during that period and mites got out of control. I treated right up to the flow and let them go 3.5 months untreated.

[@montyhp]

I have never heard of multiple rinses on mite tests. So today I did 7 mite checks. All hives were between 0/300 and 5/300 mites. I use Randy Oliver's dawn dishwashing liquid wash. On the second rinse I had one that had 1 mite. I proved to myself that multiple rinses are not worth doing.

[@beek]

Good testing!

[@montyhp]

@@beek If you are a new beekeeper and not sure of the effectiveness of your testing methodology, then you should do a repeated rinse test.

[@jesus_is_lord8303]

Thanks Dave I’m a first time bee keeper and getting a package of bees. Question: Would it be better to treat them with vapor while in the package ( minus the queen) and then introduce them to the queen afterwards? I saw that method/ idea and wanted your input .. thanks !

[@redhat11]

Another good video. I did have a somewhat random question - I’m considering putting hives out on some farmland my family owns, but I know a commercial operator does the same on a nearby field each year. How far apart should completely separate hives be?

[@TimSanders-v7m]

David, what is the equation on your shirt?

[@beek]

NASA is just saying be greater than average.

[@beemanrunning977]

If your first wash shows you that the mite load is over the treatment threshold, is it really necessary to do further rinses? Thanks Dave.

[@beek]

Yes, some treatments might be used it the count is really high while others might be more of a control.

[@beemanrunning977]

@@beek OK. Thanks for clarifying for me.

[@bunhelsingslegacy3549]

I'm not sure what the point is in checking for mites every 30 days when there's nothing I can do about it while honey supers are on, OAV isn't approved for use with honey supers on in my area. But I do agree that not all hives are equal and one right next to another may be a mite bomb while the first is nearly mite-free, we had that happen last year after Apivar treatment, so we hit everyone with OAV as soon as the strips came out.

[@beek]

You can use Formic Pro with supers on