I'm curious about tracheal mites as well. I've heard musings from a few "older" beekeepers who think tracheal mites are maybe becoming a problem here again. I've tried pulling a few bees apart to see but I don't know anything about testing for tracheal mites. Could someone share testing procedures? Is it similar to nosema, where one should test ten or more individual bees from the hive entrance? 

Most everything I've read about tracheal mites says simply they don't exist anymore. I've said that to the "old" beekeepers who think they're seeing symptoms of tracheal mites and they just shrug and look over my shoulder at some distant point, probably thinking we're just going to keep losing hives if the stock response to tracheal mites remains "couldn't be them, they don't exist anymore." 

Thanks, 
Tracey Smith
Alberta

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