Before starting the treatments I suddenly was getting a mite fall of 10 to 12 per day from the one hive. I was monitoring the hives weekly and when I spotted the increase in the mite drop went to a daily count for the hive . The hive was showing bees with DWV also. I should of done a sugar roll or alcohol wash before starting the treatments but didn't think of it. Getting a baseline would of been a big help.
hey nr1!
When was that, where are You at?
If I had that kind of mite-drop, lets say August, I`d treat. I`d probably treat in July then, if I counted... (usually I got some idea of what is going on, though these days I don`t "count" any more, I just sort of gauge it by eye). Best thing You could have done in my eyes (I would have): make a late split. Take out all sealed brood and OAV twice within three days (that will get the mites way down cause they can`t hide in the cells). The brood: Either let it hatch and then OAV, too. But they usually don`t make a queen (at least mine never did!) at this time of year. And not with so many mites (90% of all the mites in that hive have gone with the brood). Or go for something harder, something that works inside the cells, like formic acid, to get rid of the mites in that hive.
If you put that box next to the original box or on top, you can reunite after all are hatched and treated if you need strong hives for winter.
if you got a mild climate, leave it.
There is one guy in Germany, has got a kind of bee-school, he takes out ALL the brood or even all the frames (he has no more than 6 Jumbos in the brood-nest) and melts them down (after last honey-flow). Then gives frames with foundation and in the next 7 or 9 days he treats twice with OAV. That was that till winter for him usually.
I usually use the brood, make nucs (with the old queen) and treat them with formic acid.
This scientist I was speaking of says: a 100 in summer, 10 in fall, 1 in winter (natural drop) is a MUST for treating. (full grown colony, half for nucs I`d say)
I go way below: 10 in summer, 2-3 in fall, 0,5 in winter (winters I treat them all, no matter what, these days).
now when is fall, when is summer....?
Last year still I only treated the ones that needed it. This year I treated them all and hardly any needed it. Because last year the ones NOT treated showed a mite drop too high later on, though by the book they shouldn`t have.
The scientist lives because he is dealing with bees. Some people lives because they sell the yield from the bees. Different goals there...
another thing: mite count does fluctuate.