In a message dated 96-03-24 12:35:37 EST, [log in to unmask] (Allen Dick)
wrote:
 
>I'm wondering if varroa mites are easily detached when found on/with
>dead bees and if they will have stayed with their host to the end in
>a dead overwintered hive.
 
   I have occasionally seen dead adult bees with mites still attatched.  More
often, I check capped brood, and find them, sometimes three or more per pupa.
 
>Specifically, I am wondering if an alcohol wash of a sample of bees
in a dead wintered hive will yield useful data???
 
   I suspect that the majority of mites fall off the bees, or leave them,
when they die, so I wouldn't think that would be very useful.  However, I
haven't tried it.
 
   Mites in capped brood cells are pretty much trapped, so it would seem they
would tell a more accurate story.
 
   We had extremely wet fields last fall, and were unable to get all the bees
out in a timely fashion.  I still have eight hives on one farm, which has a
boggy road to them.  I suspect we'll be doing post mortems, when we get them
out.
 
[log in to unmask]    Dave Green  PO Box 1200, Hemingway, SC   29554
http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html