I remembered that this has been done, and done well, and not so long ago.

I think that Harry Vanderpool needs to be paid royalties for any such
machine, so one might as well use his known-good design as attempt to
reinvent it.  Even if one might somehow wriggle out of it, paying him would
be the right thing to do.

Article:

http://oda.state.or.us/information/AQ/0209AQ/02.html
or
http://tinyurl.com/mn6mzjq

Patent:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fn
etahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=6702645.PN.&
OS=PN/6702645&RS=PN/6702645#top
or
http://tinyurl.com/mf7sbky

But remember, even 100% removal of all phoretic mites does not significantly
help the hive, as the breeding mites in cells are never touched by powdered
sugar.  The powdered sugar treatment is no better than doing nothing, as
shown in multiple studies of the issue.  Powdered sugar buys one time, but
with Formic Acid, one does not need to "buy time" until one can treat for
mites.

See JAR and Bee World 48(1): 72-76 (2009)
DOI 10.3896/IBRA.1.48.1.14
"The efficacy of dusting honey bee colonies
with powdered sugar to reduce varroa mite populations."
Amanda and James Ellis, Gerry Hayes

"[Powdered Sugar] did not significantly reduce the total number of mites per
colony, the number of mites per adult bee, or the number of mites per capped
brood cell."

"Dusting only removes mites from adult bees and not mites reproducing in
sealed brood cells. We found that, on average for each sampling month except
November, approximately 60 % of the total mites per colony were located in
the brood."

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html