Tom from Ireland enquired about varroa screens (floors).
 
My opinion is:-
 
the wax particles on the insert might be light coloured, dark coloured,
large (not too large - mice), small or whatever, and unless the colony is
dead they are going to be present throughout the year (they need to feed).
But I fail to understand that you can judge the strength of a colony from
observing an insert.
 
What is learnt from all this useless information, that is apart from
discovering the natural mite mortality drop. So much better to quietly
remove the cover board and look down between the frames in winter, or lift
the frames from the box during summer.
 
Not enthusiastic about the use of any of the oils or crystals such as
menthol or wintergreen which rely on evaporation, especially with our fickle
weather where it can be hot one day and an anorak job the next, so could not
add to the comments.
 
Most certainly disagree when he states it is unnecessary to change the
floors in spring, I should think the wax moths will revel in that statement
as my experience is that whenever floors are in use the inserts have to be
changed regularly, not only to observe the mite drop but also to remove the
moth larvae. The floors also need changing regularly as the moths just love
the edges and corners.
 
No varroa screens are a tool to be used in beekeeping, just like the smoker
and hive tool, and once they have served their purpose they should be
cleaned up and put away until the next time.
 
Regarding the multitude of creepie crawlies that can be found on an insert,
and they were obviously on the floor before we started using inserts, maybe
fewer as the bees would have been able to move them on, I think Tom will
find the majority of these are just scavengers living off particles of
pollen and the like - please don't say there anything else otherwise we will
have no beekeepers left in the UK - that is apart from the Wedmore student
in Shropshire, UK.
 
Ken Hoare