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GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: What did you do in your Apiary/Bee yard today?
« Last post by beesnweeds on May 11, 2024, 11:22:48 am »An interesting comment about sugar roll tests. We were told at a recent varroa course that sugar roll tests were fatal to bees but their death is slow and is not obvious. From memory they said that the bees spiracles were blocked by the powdered sugar and it took a few days for the bees to slowly die from suffocation. I have never heard of this before but have no reason to doubt what they are saying as they are experts in this field. I?m wondering if anyone has any information in relation to this area. Most of you on this forum deal with the pest on a daily and would be well informed on such things. I only perform alcohol wash tests as it is quicker and gives more accurate results which is important in the early stages of varroa spread.From personal experience bees shaken/rolled in a jar of powdered sugar is a slow death. Detergent is quick, effective, cheap, and a bit messy when Im sampling a lot of hives. I just keep a small bucket a water to rinse off. Alcohol works great too. Its just a matter of preference.
https://scientificbeekeeping.com/?s=refining+mite+wash