BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER > DISEASE & PEST CONTROL

powdered sugar for varroa

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Blackbird:
I decided tp use the powdered sugar method to treat my bees for varroa. I  did this treatment yesterday and it was a total pain in the butt!! But it is cheaper than any other treatment and requires little equipment which is good for me.
Any way after 24 hours I checked my white board for fallen varroa and there were like TWO! I was certainly expecting to see a lot more. Did I do something wrong? I don't know what to think. Maybe my bees just don't have a very bad infestation?
If any body knows anything about this treatment and what to expect please tell me.

Stacie

Lesli:

--- Quote from: Blackbird ---I decided tp use the powdered sugar method to treat my bees for varroa.

Stacie
--- End quote ---


What did you do? I've heard of it for checking numbers of mites, but how do you treat the whole hive?

Blackbird:
You pull each frame and dust the bees with powdered sugar til they're white with it. You treat every 7 to 10 days for three treatments. It's supposed to kill the varroa. I don't know how it works though.
Here is the web site about it
http://fire.prohosting.com/topbargu/blas.htm

Robo:
What was the natural drop rate before you did the treatment? Did you open up any drone brood to assess mite population? Without knowing the level of infestation, it is hard to measure the effectiveness of a treatment.

I have heard people with no mites have had great success controlling varroa by just placing a penny heads up at the entrance :D
 
Depending on the specific mechanism for killing the mites,  it may take several days/weeks to kill them. For example, you will still get mites dropping from oxalic acid up to 4 weeks after treatment.

Blackbird:
Normal mite drop was 0-3 in 24 hr period. So I don't think I have a very bad infestation. I haven't opened any drone brood. I didn't know to do that. How many cells would I have to open? Do the drone cells stick out a bit farther than worker cells? And then once it's open would I pulol out the larva to check or can you see with out pulling it out?

Were you serious about the penny thing or was that a joke?

Thanks
Stacie

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