Honey Bee World

Tonight I did my first check for mites using the sugar shaker method. I thought I followed all of the instructions correctly, but there were no mites anywhere on the collection plate or in the jar when I rinsed and filtered the sugar in there. Then after taking off my veil and sweatshirt, later on, I found what I'm sure was a mite crawling on my arm. I treated for mites in the spring, btw.

I found what I'm sure was a mite crawling on my arm

That seems...unlikely. Are you sure that you know what you are looking for?

Let me see if I have this right- you treated already this Spring, and *now* you are doing your first mite check?

What did you treat with? Where are you located?

My bee friend had me treat proactively together with his. I hadn't done a check other than visually basically because this is all still very new to me and my bee buddy never mentioned this kind of check. I know the mite seems unlikely, but if I could show you a picture, I'm sure you would say it looked like a mite. I've looked at about a hundred pictures to compare. It seems even more unlikely because I was covered. But it makes me extremely nervous to have not found a single mite on the bees.
I live in PA. We treated with an oxclic acid dribble when we got our bees April 1.

Well, having never done the 'sugar shake', I cannot speak as to the efficacy of the method nor your implementation of it. A 'visual' mite check is of little use, they are very, very small and extremely difficult to see when you are looking at a mass of bees moving around.

If your OAD was applied properly and was effective, there may not be many mites to see at this point, and I don't think you mentioned what your sample size was. A large sample and an alcohol wash might turn up a mite or two, but you probably shouldn't get too nervous yet.

When you got your bees, was it a package or a nuc? Was it from a commercial source?

It was a package from a source who got his bees very early for our area. They are very docile, but have been doing wonderfully. I still haven't been stung and I've been in without veil, gloves, etc.

OK, a package would have had a brood-break, plus your OAD treatment, so mites shouldn't be a big issue at this point. What you need to remember is that mites breed in a geometric, not linear progression. You can have low numbers for a while, then slightly higher, then slightly higher, and then BOOM!, you're loaded.

You'll want to check again, probably around August, and see what you come up with then.

Thank you! I'll keep an eye on them. Still a little disturbed by the thing on my arm.

Sss1717 wrote: ↑June 21st, 2017, 7:58 pmStill a little disturbed by the thing on my arm.

LOL, who knows? Up here,we have to check for ticks after a trip to the bees.

They are very docile, but have been doing wonderfully. I still haven't been stung and I've been in without veil, gloves, etc.

That's great...until it's not- stuff happens and bees get pissy and then you have an issue. If you want to go in them bare-handed, that's one thing, but it is not wise to not protect your face.