This post got my attention as far as the math is concerned.  What exactly is meant by
a
hive being 98% mite free?  Assuming that 56 bees were carrying mites out of a total
of
2000 bees that means that 2.8% of the bees were infested and 97.2% were mite free.
Does 98% mite free mean 2 mites per 100 bees or is it based on some other threshold?
I have seen the term used and it doesn't mean very much without knowing what is
considered to be 100% infested.  I would think it would be less than 100 mites per
100 bees.  What do you think?
 
Jan Tempelman wrote:
 
> Paul Cronshaw, D.C. wrote:
>
> > Adrian Wenner wrote:
> >
> > <<   I live in Santa Barbara also and caught a swarm in one of my backyard
> > swarm hives.  I anesthetized the bees and counted them, as well as the
> > varroa mites.  The bees numbered only 2000 (quite a small swarm), with 56
> > mites among them.>>
> >
> > This would demonstrate that swarms can carry mites which will then
> > re-establish them in the new hive.
> >
> > It makes sense therefore to put an apistan strip into a newly established hive.
> >
> > Paul Cronshaw, D.C.
> > Cyberchiro and Hobbyist Beekeeper
> > Santa Barbara, CA  USA
>
> or, give them a drone frame with larva in itmites wil be go in there, and after
> the cells are closed
> remove that frame, and the swarm will be for 98 % mites-free
>
> (for more see http:/www.xs4all.nl/~jtemp/dronemethod.html)
>
> --
> Jan Tempelman / Ineke Drabbe     |     EMAIL:[log in to unmask]
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