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----------------- Original message (ID=7E651BB7) (48 lines)
-------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2001 16:10:43 +0200
From: dr pedro p rodriguez <[log in to unmask]>
To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology
 <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Effectivity of formic acid

Hello Andy.
     There are several mthods that you can use. Alcohol o ether roll,
counting
varroa in the larvae.  I would like to recommend the method that has been
usefel
for me.  It is as follows:
Take out a frame with capped brood and mark an area approximately 100 square
cm,

(10 X 10 cm).  Remove one hundred capped bee larvae, (preferably 50 drones
and
50 workerss,) with a sharp instrument (I use a large needle) and count the
Varroa mites that you can see parasiting the larvae.  Divide the number of
larvae by the number of cells removed and mutily by 100.  number of varroa
larvae           X 100  = % infestation
                                              number of bee larvae removed

example               13 varroa found        X 100      = 13% infestation
                         100 capped larvae
I hope that I have helped.
Good luck.
Dr. Rodriguez
                     100 bee larvae examined

Andi Sadapotto wrote:

> Does anyone know how to count/estimate the population of varroa
> mites in the colony ?