>
> >however,
> these hives are in four EPS boxes full of honey and to do a shake, I would
> have to take them apart and pull frames.  That is a sure-fire way to harm
> and/or kill hives at this late date.


Agreed!  Didn't realize how large they were.

I'd also trust counts for 6 hive days, and wouldn't be worrying.  I was just
curious to confirm what the actual situation was, not discounting natural
drop.  See my recent article in ABJ about the correlation between the two.

Did you start out with nucs or packages from the beekeeper?  Packages take
some time for mites to build up, nucs less.  As Garret says, the brood break
with queen cells sets mites back.  But in my experience, not to the point of
zero natural drop in October.

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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