sugar roll for mite count

[clintonbemrose]

If you use the powdered-sugar roll to determine the mite load. one cup of bees are approx = to 300 bees. After you sheke the bees with the sugar for a couple minutes pour the sugar out using an 8 mesh screen. Free the bees then pour the sugar into water. The water will disolve the sugar and leave the mites to be seen easly. Count the mites and multiply by 100 this will give you the approximate mite count for that hive.
Clint

[Sasha]

Thanks for the tip.I have tried the sugar roll but couldnt see mites in the sugar.Maybe this will work better.

[George Fergusson]

Also, if you put your tablespoon of sugar in the jar first, then you can scoop some bees off the comb, give the jar a swirl, and the bees once coated with sugar pretty much stay put while you scoop some more bees. With a gentle scooping motion you can get quite a few bees off a comb without injuring the brood. This way, you can hold the frame in one hand and the jar in the other and not worry about getting the lid on quickly with your third hand. First time I did it I used a brush to brush bees into the jar and it didn't work well. I cleaned off a whole frame of bees and only got about 30 in the bottle smile.gif

Also, you're supposed to "shake the sugar out" on a plate or into a bowl or something, but that doesn't seem to work too well. When the bees are well shaken, I just release them onto the inner cover and knock the rest of the sugar out into a bowl and add a cup of water. Watch the bees for a while as they clean up, sometimes they dislodge a few mites in the process.