Smokin’-Sizzling Mite Washin’
2025 Replace
Randy Oliver
ScientificBeekeeping.com
Monitoring the infestation charge of your colonies
One has an moral duty to forestall the struggling of any livestock beneath their care. Most industrial shares of honey bees, until “handled” for varroa, will die an unsightly (and preventable) demise. Most colony losses are because of insufficient administration of varroa. Even natural requirements state that “All acceptable medicines have to be used to revive an animal to well being when strategies acceptable to natural manufacturing fail.” The one method to decide whether or not your colonies are affected by varroa is to watch their infestation charge.
A Crucial Sacrifice
Once you get a blood draw, you sacrifice thousands and thousands of dwelling cells with a view to monitor the well being of your physique organism as an entire. The identical idea applies when one performs a mite wash to watch the varroa infestation charge of a colony.
I don’t wish to trigger the demise of a single bee, and go to lengths to avoid wasting any bee that I can. I’ve tried sugar rolls, CO2 mite counts, and stickyboard monitoring, however discover that they typically underestimate the precise infestation charge. So with a view to save the colony from an unsightly demise from the varroa-virus complicated, I’m compelled to sacrifice some bees. I justifiy this by holding in thoughts that any employee would altruistically sacrifice themself to profit their colony, so it’s properly value it to sacrifice 300 bees to forestall the demise of the remaining 40,000 bees within the hive (needless to say ~1000 staff put on themselves out and die on daily basis).
Passion or small-scale
(Scroll down for industrial or selective breeding)
Some producers copied my unique design for a swirl-type mite wash cup (shaking simply retains the mites stirred up). Jake is now promoting them in 10-packs.
I’ve filmed a brief video of me performing a mite wash right here.
Tip: When coping with a bundle, nuc, or in any other case tiny colony that wants each bee, take solely a 1/4-cup pattern of bees (~157 bees). Even that small variety of bees will provide you with a 96% probability of getting no less than one mite if the colony has a 2% infestation degree.
Business or selective breeding
For big scale varroa monitoring, notably for the selective breeding of mite-resistant bees, one wants to have the ability to assess the mite infestation charges of enormous numbers of colonies rapidly and inexpensively.
Variation in Mite Counts
In any group of hives, even these from the identical queen mom, there could be a massive variation in every colony’s capacity to withstand varroa buildup:
For a breeding program, you’re taken with propagating the genetics of these colonies that maintain their mite counts far decrease than the norm (constructive choice) and eliminating the genetics of the mite bombs (destructive choice). For the overall beekeeper, spot sampling largely leaves you blind to what the present mite state of affairs is, and can miss the “mite factories” that unfold mites all through the yard.
The Greatest Metric for a Selective Breeding Program for Mite-Resistant Bees
A number of analysis teams [[1],[2],[3],[4]] have come to the conclusion that Harris and Harbo had been proper again in 1999 [[5]]:
- We outline mite resistance as the power of a colony of honey bees to impede the expansion of a inhabitants of varroa.
- With this definition, a extremely resistant colony of bees would trigger a mite inhabitants to say no after which to both disappear or be maintained at a really low degree. That is the breeding goal.
- There isn’t a want for colonies to die in a breeding program that selects bees for resistance to mites
- By evaluating the expansion of mite populations in every colony, one can decide which bees are extra proof against mites.
The way to Do It
The quickest and most correct method to evaluate mite development charges is to start out numerous bundle or nucleus hives, all starting with minimal infestation charges, after which use alcohol or detergent washes of samples of a half cup of younger employee bees to find out their levels of infestation.
To carry out choice, you will need to be capable to measure variation, which means that you will need to enable the mite infestations to develop till the less-resistant colonies exhibit wash counts of no less than 10 (a degree at which mites can nonetheless be managed by a therapy).
This sometimes takes 2-3 months (you may assess by spot washes). At that time, tag these colonies with counts of zero or 1 as “potential breeders” and deal with the remaining. From that time on, rewash the potential breeders each month, treating any wherein the mite counts have elevated (and take away them from the potential breeder pool).
Two simulations displaying the distinction between typical non-resistant colonies and resistant colonies.
After figuring out, marking, and withholding therapy from these potential breeders, we instantly deal with the remainder of the hives. Every potential breeder from the primary take a look at interval should then show that their low first rely wasn’t a fluke–by testing low once more on the second and third mite washes. Thankfully, I want to scrub far fewer colonies for these assessments, since I remove the overwhelming majority from consideration at first wash, and much more at every subsequent wash.
Sensible software: I’m mite washing these yards in the identical order that we made up our nucs, so that every group of hives has had the identical period of time for the mites to construct up. So this sampling doesn’t delay our treating of our yards with a view to maintain varroa beneath management.
Smokin’-Sizzling Mite Washin’
I’m blissful to say that we’ve discovered a manner! What modified the sport was utilizing mechanical agitators. A two-person crew can simply carry out washes on the charge of 1 each two minutes (together with taking the bee pattern, washing and counting the mites, and labeling the hive). This works out (assuming $25/hour for labor) to solely $1.67 per hive sampled—lower than the price of most remedies. And that’s working at a snug and sedate charge–yesterday, we stepped up the tempo and sampled our final yard of 25 hives in solely 35 minutes (from after we pulled in ‘til we drove out). My assistant Tara and I used to pattern as much as 150 hives a day (together with driving to 5 completely different yards).
The way to Do it
Following is a brief pictorial of how we at the moment carry out mite washes rapidly, precisely, and with the minimal quantity of labor (sometimes on the charge of 3-4 man-minutes per wash).
The mandatory sampling gear (above). 4 color-coded mite wash cups and markers [[6]]. We now not use the elective folding desk to maneuver alongside close to to the hives. A white plastic 18-qt (12-qt is simply too small) dishwashing tub, and a stainless-steel half-cup measuring cup [[7]]. . The coloured tape on the cups additionally signifies the fill degree for the wash liquid (each element helps).
You may make a marker holder and mirror holder for counting.
Colour Marking
We’ve discovered that there’s much less confusion if we merely colour mark every bee pattern and the hive it got here from, utilizing vinyl electrical tape (dirt-cheap on Amazon). We use 7 or 8 colours (purple, inexperienced, blue, orange, yellow, white, purple), and silver) every of which begins with a distinct letter.
Coloured vinyl tape is reasonable. On the sphere knowledge sheet, mark the letter for the colour of the cup whenever you document the wash rely. This offers you a checkback if there may be any query.
The Washing fluid
If utilizing alcohol, you’ll get faster launch and higher restoration of the mites with 90% alcohol than with 70% (50% doesn’t even kill them!) We now use Daybreak Extremely detergent blended on the charge of 1 Tablespoon per half gallon (2 liters) of water. For more information, see *
Though mites launch a bit extra rapidly (and sink quicker) in 91% alcohol, we’ve discovered that high-sudsing Daybreak Extremely (or Daybreak Skilled) detergents work as properly, and are far cheaper. Low-sudsing detergents don’t work properly (https://scientificbeekeeping.com/refining-the-mite-wash-part-4-comparing-the-release-agents/).
We sometimes combine at 1 Tablespoon per half gallon of water. Should you can’t discover Daybreak, use a high-sudsing detergent containing sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, and C10-16 alkyldimethylamine oxide.
Timing of the First Sampling
I do my first sampling when colonies are nonetheless solely doubles (earlier than including honey supers)–which permits ample time for mite ranges to construct up sufficient to see a big diploma of hive-to-hive variation in mite counts. The hot button is to pattern simply earlier than you apply your first summer time mite therapy (you might do it proper after you pull your honey supers if that works higher).
Timing for a colony began from a nuc, handled with oxalic acid when made.
Timing for an overwintered colony, handled in the course of the winter brood break.
The purpose: Permit the mites to extend sufficient to distinguish between resistant and non-resistant colonies
Which Kind of Comb to Take the Bee Pattern from?
Shake the bees from a comb to the aspect or instantly above the broodnest.
For consistency for evaluating mite wash counts, the bee samples ought to be taken from combs consultant of the infestation charge of the colony as an entire. What I’ve discovered [[8],[9]] is that samples taken from combs containing open brood are inclined to have larger, however extra erratic counts. Plus you stand a higher probability of harming the queen. Higher to shake the bees from a comb on the outer fringe of the broodnest (to the aspect or instantly above), and permit the older bees to fly off – leaving a bee pattern of youthful bees with a consultant mite rely.
I pull an analogous body from every hive—sometimes two frames in from the surface of the cluster. I desire a body with beebread, however don’t need to disturb the precise broodnest or the queen. Keep away from combs with drones, since even a single drone can drastically skew the rely upward [[10]].
I pull an analogous body from every hive—sometimes two frames in from the surface of the cluster.
The particular person pulling the frames must have a superb eye for recognizing queens. I search for the queen as I step to the bathtub (which I now sometimes place on an adjoining hive) [[11]]. These pictures had been taken in close to 100°F (38°C) climate, therefore the truck and the pattern desk being positioned within the shade
At this level (if I’ve pulled a brood body) I can assess any hive for brood sample, illness, honey manufacturing, and so forth. There’s no sense selecting breeders in the event that they don’t head productive, wholesome hives.
Sensible software: This “mini inspections” pay for themselves, since they provide you with a warning to any colony that has points or wants feeding or area.
One fast shake into the bathtub (do a tough snap shake, since youthful bees maintain on tighter than do older bees). Don’t shake any extra bees than you want, because it makes it tougher to identify a queen! If too many bees go into the bathtub, scoop some again to the hive earlier than you even search for a queen.
Permit the older bees to fly off. This takes solely a number of seconds — leaving solely mite-rich youthful bees for sampling. Throughout the fly off, change the comb, and shut the hive.
Sensible software: this additionally instantly tells you one thing about colony situation — in a shake from a wholesome rising colony, a lot of the bees will keep within the tub (indicating a inhabitants of principally younger bees). Conversely, if a lot of the bees fly off, it signifies that the hive has been broodless for some time, or that’s isn’t rising.
That is all of the bees that you really want within the tub.
Many of the bees within the higher brood field of might be mid-age and nurse bees, which aren’t inclined to sting. This shaking doesn’t elicit any defensive conduct on the bees’ half— in sizzling climate I can do that all day lengthy with no defensive sting.
Instantly after the older bees have flown off, the remaining younger bees will fan out in a single layer, making it very straightforward to identify the queen should you missed her on the body.
It’s typical for the remaining younger bees to march in a circle. At all times search for a queen earlier than scooping up the bee pattern. This can be very uncommon for us to unintentionally kill a queen.
Look fastidiously, because you don’t need to unintentionally kill a possible breeder queen!
Tilt the bathtub, faucet it on the desk, and scoop the cup up beneath the bees, thus not inflicting any bees to launch alarm pheromone. If there’s a nectar shake on, it makes the bees stick collectively, so I shake the combs extra gently, and wash the bathtub and cup with water each few hives.
For consistency in variety of bees in every pattern, the cup of bees ought to be leveled. This may typically be achieved with a fast sideways shake of the cup. In any other case, I instantly degree the cup of bees with my finger. I’ve completed this 1000’s of instances, and have but to be stung on the finger a single time!
Instantly dump the bees into the detergent resolution or alcohol, then press down with the underside of the cup to forestall any bees from flying away. I snap the lid onto the cup, and decide up the marker with the matching colour to position on high of the hive after I return the remaining bees. Both I or my helper(s) then take the cups to the wash station and again. I instantly transfer on to the following hive—there’s no lifeless time. 4 coloured cups are all that we’d like in rotation, because the time concerned in taking the bee pattern nearly completely matches the time on the wash desk.
Instantly place the coloured marker matching the cup on high of the hive from which you took the bee pattern! Earlier than taking the bee pattern, I take the lid off the cup and place the marker on high of it. This prevents the wind from blowing away the lid, and forces you to select up the marker to place the lid on. At this level I knock the remaining bees within the tub out with a fast bang in opposition to the entrance of the hive .
Marker sitting on high of the lid.
On sizzling days, don’t enable any younger bees to stay on the hive cowl, since they are going to rapidly die from the warmth. To my shock, after I snapped this phot, we noticed the queen within the clump of bees to the best!
Agitation of the Pattern to Precipitate the Mites
If utilizing 91% alcohol, the mites launch instantly. If utilizing detergent, enable the cup to sit down for no less than 60 seconds earlier than starting agitation.
There isn’t a must shake the cup! All you need to do is a mild swirl to permit gravity to tug the mites down by the transferring bee our bodies:
All that’s wanted is a mild round swirl, in order that the bees on the backside are slowly tumbling.
And right here’s the place the sport changer enters – utilizing battery-powered mechanical agitators:
My helper Jacob McBride is producing these agitators on the market (forbeessake@gmail.com).
Many of the mites might be on the backside of the cup after 15 seconds of agitation, and 95% by 30 seconds (near 100% by 60 seconds). At that time, carry out the interior cup containing the bees, and rely the mites.
I’ve filmed a quick video of me performing a wash right here.
Counting the Mites
Maintain the cup 4” above a 10x magnifying mirror to rely the mites.
On the wash station, the washperson information the primary letter of the cup colour together with the mite rely.
They will then holler out to the pattern taker, “Purple is a rely of 4.” The pattern taker then repeats that sentence again, and writes the date and rely on the hive, as they decide up the marker.
Tags on our “potential breeder” colonies. The most effective recording system that we’ve discovered is 3” x 5” aluminum tags screwed to the hive covers. The one felt pen that lasts is the Marks-a-Lot Extremely. We put a star on colonies which are high performers so far as colony power and honey manufacturing.
Alternatively, you may stick an index card partially beneath the migratory cowl, ensuring that it’s caught within the propolis:
Both the washperson or a sampler returns refilled cups to the sphere, putting them with their markers on high onto the following hives to be sampled:
Sensible software: by the point we’re completed, every hive might be labeled as to mite rely and whether or not it’s a potential breeder to check once more, whether or not it’s queenless, sick or weak and must be taken care of, wants a brilliant, and so forth. The yard crew then follows us the following day, now understanding upfront what must be completed, and takes care of the whole lot in a short time. Thus, we’re utilizing probably the most skilled member of the crew to do a fast analysis of the standing of each hive at this important juncture. Our financial savings in mite remedies, labor, and fewer misplaced hives greater than pay for the price of the sampling, and as a bonus we at the moment are engaged in a realistically critical breeding program for varroa-resistant bees.
The Unimaginable Turns into Attainable
Till we bought this methodology down, I’d have thought-about discovering time to do 1000 mite washes to be inconceivable. However now we expect nothing of performing 300 or extra washes in a day.
Notes and Citations
[1] Eynard, S, et al. (2024) Sequence-based genome-wide affiliation research reveal the polygenic structure of Varroa destructor resistance in Western honey bees Apis mellifera. bioRxiv 2024-02.
[2] Guichard, M, et al. (2020) Advances and views in deciding on resistance traits in opposition to the parasitic mite Varroa destructor in honey bees. Genetics Choice Evolution 52: 1-22.
[3] Guichard, M, et al. (2023) Prospects, challenges and views in harnessing pure choice to unravel the ‘varroa drawback’ of honey bees. Evolutionary Purposes 16(3): 593-608.
[4] Sprau, L, et al. (2024) The choice traits of mite non-reproduction (MNR) and Varroa delicate hygiene (VSH) present excessive variance in subsequent generations and require intensive time funding to guage. Apidologie 55(5): 68.
[5] Harbo, J & J Harris (1999) Deciding on honey bees for resistance to Varroa jacobsoni. Apidology 30 (2-3): 183-196.
[6] I take advantage of coloured vinyl tape. We tried numbering and lettering, however discovered that colours had been far much less complicated. We additionally tried greater than 4 colours, however discovered that 4 coloured cups was all that was essential for 2-4 crew members. We are able to get it right down to a minute a pattern with 4 folks.
[7] The curve of the Rubbermaid tub precisely matches that of the chrome steel measuring cup—each little element counts for effectivity! We supply two tubs, nested. One holds all of the wash cups, and slips into the clear one for taking samples under. The tubs match crosswise right into a deep tremendous for transport (as does the mite washer). Ideas: should you’re utilizing alcohol, do not stack the wash cups after use—they are going to stick tightly collectively (not a problem with detergent). Should you stack two wash tubs, put the measuring cup within the decrease one to maintain the tubs from sticking collectively.
[8] QUESTIONS ON SAMPLING HIVES FOR VARROA
https://scientificbeekeeping.com/re-evaluating-varroa-monitoring-part-2/
[9] HOW DOES MITE DISTRIBUTION VARY FRAME-TO-FRAME IN A HIVE?
https://scientificbeekeeping.com/re-evaluating-varroa-monitoring-part-3/
[10] https://scientificbeekeeping.com/drones-and-varroa-part-1/
[11] I can stroll and chew gum on the similar time, however haven’t but mastered strolling, chewing gum, and on the lookout for the queen concurrently.
