I've compared alcohol wash to sugar shake a number of times, using Dr.
Elli's method of allowing the bees to heat up, and various ways of shaking.
I generally get about 70% as many total mites as I do when I rewash the bees
in alcohol.
Re Allen's observation of technique for alcohol wash, I'm in total
agreement. I've had a helper last week, and I was always able to wash more
mites off his shakes with a second wash.
Alcohol wash is much faster than sugar shake in the field, and as much as I
hate killing 300 bees, I REALLY hate killing 300 colonies by overlooking a
mite buildup.
As Allen inferred, the threshold numbers that I gave were for this time of
season--when mite counts peak. I accept fewer mites earlier in the season,
or later.
Randy Oliver
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