At this time of year, I keep an eye on my bees by checking their flights and the Varroa board. Today was rainy and cool so I wasn't expecting any bees to be out, but I did want to check the boards. The Varroa (or inspection) board sits under the mesh floor of the hive, … Continue reading Inspection Boards
Tag: Varroa mite
Thermosolar Varroa Count
Last time I checked the Berwick Solar Farm bees, I put the inspection board underneath the mesh floor to see if there were any varroa mites. As the bee groom themselves and each other, the mites drop off, fall through the mesh and can be counted. Of course, it's only a proportion that appear, so … Continue reading Thermosolar Varroa Count
Thermosolar update
The Thermosolar hive's greatest attribute is its state-of-the-art Varroa control procedure, using the power of sunlight to gently heat the hive to a temperature for a short time, which doesn't harm the bees, but does kill the mites. I wanted to know if the bees do have a mite load, so I put the inspection … Continue reading Thermosolar update