drones one and two from the left look like they have DWV, have you checked for mite levels?
IMHO...Ran a drop test of mites for 3 days. One of the days was a no fly day due to a massive rainstorm. Used Petroleum jelly on the screened bottom board insert.
22 mites total or ~7/day.
There are roughly 3 brood boxes and 2 honey supers (all 8 frame mediums) - or 24 medium frames of brood/bees and 12 medium frames of honey.
For this time of year, what would be a reasonable number to shoot for (other than zero) for this number of bees?
Our first year with bees, we did sticky board drop tests for mites, 2 colonies counted exactly zero, one colony counted exactly one after 24 hours. We debated, but eventually I put a treatment in the hives (was in late August), and did another 24 hour drop tests. When I pulled the sticky boards, I lost track of the count somewhere north of a thousand mites.Ran a drop test of mites for 3 days. One of the days was a no fly day due to a massive rainstorm. Used Petroleum jelly on the screened bottom board insert.
22 mites total or ~7/day.
Was in my hives today in Central Mass. Lots of drones flying. no eviction here yet.drones the population will be going down this happens around the end of June where I live in Southwestern New Hampshire.
:thumbsup: I agree.My conclusion from that exercise, very low drop counts on the sticky board means, strong healthy mites that are not falling down.