Hive mite count, practice run
I went up on the roof and dutifully pulled out the miteboards to count mites. But I couldn't recall when I had put them in clean- I think it was Sunday, now its Wedneday- and I think the count is supposed to be 24 hours, but I can't recall. And I was tired, and, well, had a toughish day and didn;t feel like looking it up, so I just did the count.
Advice, part one, use white boards, I used plastic sign board. I have pluwood too- all mu old ones, tough to clean, delaminates, and hard to see mites. Part one, draw sharpie lines across them, lengthwise, a few inches apart. I don't think it needs to be a grid. Part three, wear those cheap Harbor Freignt headband sort of magnifiers. Unless you eyes are really good. Mine are anymore, and the headband thing is way better than a handlense.
The black lines will ensure you do a better count, its hard to scan a board and be sure you aren't missing areas, or counting them again, without some sort of reference. THe sharpie lines scrape and wash off, so it would be nice to find a better line. I hanve't yet- I tried slicing it in, but its hard to control.
Anyway- I had lots of mites it seemed, and its only April . I think treatment plans for 24 hours of a count in a medium hive is about 25 mites. I had one with 37, most were 20 plus. But for more than a few days, so maybe I am being over worried. I'll do it again- but it looks bad to me. A few hives, including #11, which seems very strong, had few, if any. They're Carniolans, but I don't think it matters.
It's all about data- and not having old data- though I sure have written things down over the years, in bee logs, and garden journals. But only a few official mite counts. And little about hive weight.
The thing its hard to know is how well the hive is doing, without tearing it apart to find out. And even if it is doing well, its hard to know if mites, or something else, aren't also doing well. But it seems to me that if I could keep track of hive weight, which would ensure that there are adequate stores, and that stores are increasing in poportion to other hives, and that there are few mites, and that there are eggs and good brood patterns, and that there are a full set of bees at the entry and flying out on nice days- that all would be alot.
I have a revision to mu weight tool which I think will really help. If I have time, I will draw the tool and share it.
I spent the day at the hospital with mu mother (not to make this to emotional or personal- still, its part of the whole thing for me), and it was tough. On the one hand, filling up one's moments trying to take care of hives, on the other, watching one's mother get old and move closer to dying. Sure, that's inappropriate here, but its a tangle for me. I can't say how they are related- they are, for me.
Advice, part one, use white boards, I used plastic sign board. I have pluwood too- all mu old ones, tough to clean, delaminates, and hard to see mites. Part one, draw sharpie lines across them, lengthwise, a few inches apart. I don't think it needs to be a grid. Part three, wear those cheap Harbor Freignt headband sort of magnifiers. Unless you eyes are really good. Mine are anymore, and the headband thing is way better than a handlense.
The black lines will ensure you do a better count, its hard to scan a board and be sure you aren't missing areas, or counting them again, without some sort of reference. THe sharpie lines scrape and wash off, so it would be nice to find a better line. I hanve't yet- I tried slicing it in, but its hard to control.
Anyway- I had lots of mites it seemed, and its only April . I think treatment plans for 24 hours of a count in a medium hive is about 25 mites. I had one with 37, most were 20 plus. But for more than a few days, so maybe I am being over worried. I'll do it again- but it looks bad to me. A few hives, including #11, which seems very strong, had few, if any. They're Carniolans, but I don't think it matters.
It's all about data- and not having old data- though I sure have written things down over the years, in bee logs, and garden journals. But only a few official mite counts. And little about hive weight.
The thing its hard to know is how well the hive is doing, without tearing it apart to find out. And even if it is doing well, its hard to know if mites, or something else, aren't also doing well. But it seems to me that if I could keep track of hive weight, which would ensure that there are adequate stores, and that stores are increasing in poportion to other hives, and that there are few mites, and that there are eggs and good brood patterns, and that there are a full set of bees at the entry and flying out on nice days- that all would be alot.
I have a revision to mu weight tool which I think will really help. If I have time, I will draw the tool and share it.
I spent the day at the hospital with mu mother (not to make this to emotional or personal- still, its part of the whole thing for me), and it was tough. On the one hand, filling up one's moments trying to take care of hives, on the other, watching one's mother get old and move closer to dying. Sure, that's inappropriate here, but its a tangle for me. I can't say how they are related- they are, for me.
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