Sugar dusting in winter...

[beehoppers]

Since we have this La nina winter going on, and looking at the forecast, I expect a stretch of warm weather next week. Our Russians have plenty of mites every time I test. I am thinking a sugar dust at the first of a warm spell would do no harm and really set the mites back. Could do it several times but I doubt I could do it like exactly every 7 days. I'll post results. What do you'all think?

[Ben Brewcat]

For my $.02 anytime you 1) have mites, 2) can hit them safely, and 3) don't have capped brood, that's a big ole green light :). Though dusting clustered bees isn't very effective, and for sure don't break up a cluster. How warm are you talking?

[beehoppers]

Mid 50's Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. I'll do it Sunday to give them some time to deal with it.

[beehoppers]

A two day mite count revealed 6 to 10 mites per day in my 5 hives. I am sure that's a lot. The dusting went well. All the hives had plenty of bees and at least 1 and a half of a medium box full of stores. I went to the trouble of dusting each box with bees separately. I'll slide the count boards back in next weekend and check again.

[beehoppers]

Well a week after the dusting a 2 day mite count reveals 3 to 4 per day. That's better for sure. The weather was similar to the first count.

[Beaches' Bee-Haven Apiary]

Yeah, this weather lately is plenty warm for the bees to clean things up. As soon as I can get the sugar and time, I'll be dusting my 5 hives... but now its getting cooler:(

-Nathanael:cool: