>> Now someone needs to investigate this further and also to check the
>> brood of a nuc in spring/summer with known phoretic levels and a new queen
>> that has just begun laying after a broodless period

>I've been looking this week, Allen, trying to catch a nuc at just the right
>time.  I've never noticed that the first sealed brood in the center of the
>first frame laid up die, but haven't really looked.  I'll let you know.

Thanks Randy.  I suppose that one can check any time after the brood patch is laid and sealed, right up until emergence.  

Waiting a while after capping would make observations easier -- unless the bees are so hygienic that they uncap and recap and confound the count.

I'd tnink that it is just a matter of finding that first capped patch of brood, then uncapping from the middle ourwards and observing.  Signs of recapping would draw the count into question unless some heavy infestation is seen.

It is also important to have a number for the phoretic mites in each hive sampled, since if there are few or none, limited observations would not mean as much as if the phoretic  levels were significant -- 5% or so.

IMo, anyhow.

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