Will a hive that has a mite count of 70 do better than a hive with only one mite? Will the hive with fewer mites be the only one to survive the winter?
I'll know the answers to these questions next spring.
After turning my hives into gas chambers with formic acid, I did a mite count to determine the current levels of infestation. Droogie 1, always the over-achiever, had one mite on its sticky board after 24 hours. Droogie 2, however, had 70. I think the difference is due to the number of boxes on each hive when I treated them. Droogie 1 only had two medium hive bodies, while Droogie 2 had three medium hive bodies. I think the formic acid may not have been sufficiently concentrated to be effective in Droogie 2 due to the increased volume of the hive.
So I'm encouraged by the numbers in Droogie 1, have learned an important lesson (only treat with two mediums on the hive) and will be able to see how the bees do with the rainy season and cooler temperatures now upon us.
This brings my first amazing season of beekeeping to a close. Wintertime is good for ordering and assembling new beekeeping supplies, and I plan to take advantage of a rainy weekend to make candles with the wax Ellie and I have in our freezer left over from the honey harvest. I'll definitely post some pictures when we've made them.
I look forward to seeing what you both come up with.
ReplyDeleteHope all the bees do well this winter!