Mite Count Results Interpretation

[zhiv9]

4 weeks ago mite count on my hive 133/24hr
2 weeks ago mite count 50/24hr
This week 30/24hr

I am trying to understand what has happened here. I have not treated the bees at all. During this time they have almost drawn out and filled a medium super. Lots of foragers out today bringing in a ton of pollen.

Any thoughts?

[HarryVanderpool]

Well, something changed; didn't it?
Maybe your hive went through a supercedure and was broodless during the first test which would have all of the mitesw in the phoretic stage.
Then, after the new queen started laying like a machine gun, most of the mites jumped in cells.

Another possibility is that on the first test you had a hive with a lethal mite load and it is on it's way to crashing.
Mite count numbers alone cannot be interpreted without additional information.
The only additional info is that you did not treat which may be one you soon regret, and that your hives are over the red zone for daily mite drops.

[zhiv9]

No obvious supercedure. There have been brood of all stages when I checked every two weeks. I had never intended to treat the hive and had resigned myself to losing it. Now I am just trying to interpret the results.

[Mike Gillmore]

Have you noticed them ejecting drones from the colony over the past month?

[zhiv9]

Not explicitly. I did notice that their were plenty of drones two weeks ago and I really didn't notice any today. Realistically we could have frost any time in the next few weeks.

Most of what I have read has indicated that mite numbers would continue to rise into the fall, but my counts haven't followed this so far