Mountain Bee
I have a Varroa Mite Count Calculator I have borrowed from the UK. I have used your Hive #2 as base line for average but I have set the thresh hold at 1000 mites per hive
Here is your results Looks like what you doing is on the right track I would check the mite count again and see if the numbers are coming down If they are you would if the treatment is working I had high mite count in the past spring 3 day average of 50 treated with formic acid of 50% for 7 day got them all no mite count 3-anf 7 days later but lots during treatment
Thanks
Dale
Varroa Calculator Results
The Varroa Mite Varroa Calculator
You selected Natural Mite Drop
174 Mites detected over 3 days
Month: August,
Season: Medium,
Drone Brood level: Low
Average Daily Mite Fall = 58.0 varroa mites
The number of days over which you collected/counted mites is less than seven. This might give a poor estimate of mite numbers, so the predictions must be treated with caution.
Estimated number of adult varroa mites in the colony = 2300
Treatment is recommended as soon as practically possible.
Important Note:
Remember - the situation can change rapidly, especially if mite (re)invasion occurs. You should carry on monitoring regularly.
The model predicts when the varroa numbers are likely to reach a critical level that requires treatment. The above is based on an estimate of how long it is likely to take before the varroa mite population reaches 1000 - a level where treatment is recommended to avoid varroa causing significant adverse effects on the colony. We have intentionally set the threshold level of 1000 mites to give a cautious approach, bearing in mind that monitoring methods are not always accurate. The results can depend on many factors including the size of the colony, so a range may be shown above. However, for various reasons, a small colony may well be more susceptible to a given level of varroa mites than a large colony. Where a range is given, a cautious approach would be to treat within the shorter time period. If the model predicts that treatment is required in mid-winter, it would normally be prudent to treat in the Autumn to avoid disturbing the bees in mid-winter. It should be remembered that the above predictions are based on sampling and estimates, so the recommendation is a guidance to help the beekeeper make a decision. If the beekeeper has good evidence that the mite level is higher than the estimate, and/or colony damage from varroa mites is already evident (eg deformed bees), the beekeeper should not delay treatment unnecessarily
