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24 hour mite count of ZERO?

2K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  Ravenseye 
#1 ·
This is probably a dumb question (but see if that stops me from asking it!)

My one hive was started with a 3# package of Italians in May of this year. I did my first 24 hour sticky board check for mites last night, and no matter how hard I look amongst the little bits of pollen and stuff, I see nothing that looks like the pictures I've seen of varroa mites. Is this possible? It rained for a while last night and again this morning, if that makes a difference. The two round dark things on the board turned out to be dirt, like a drop of muddy water had fallen.

I had 6 or 7 SHB run across the sticky board as I pulled it out from under the SBB, plus two ants and a spider. Should those bugs have gotten stuck? Is the clear contact paper I'm using not sticky enough?

Please feel free to tell me to count my blessings and shut up if you think it's warranted! I'd hate to have mites and miss them cause I'm using the wrong paper or something, though.
 
#3 ·
All of the above makes me wonder about mites that don't "stick". Can they crawl back up into the hive and find a home again or are they pretty much doomed once they fall down? I suppose that if they fall down and through a screened bottom board that it's too far for them to climb back up but what about a solid bottom board or not so sticky board? Suppose I did a sugar treatment and they fell down. Can I just leave the screened bottom board on and let them hit the ground underneath...good riddance?
 
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