Dear Beekeepers,
 
There is a quick easy way to check for Varroa mites that beats killing
hundreds of bees with the ether roll.
The "Tracking Strip", created by Bob Noel, can be inserted for 24 hours  in
your hive and let you know if you have Varroa, in one day. I’ve used it 
since the Fall of 1995 with excellent results and no harm to my Bees. I've
left it longer as a treatment when I found an infested hive.
Here’s the directions.
 
Tracking Strips for Varroa Mites
Vaseline mixture:
13 oz Vaseline in it’s jar.
1 Tablespoon Wintergreen oil.
Mix in the Jar as completely as you can.
 
In the Spring and Fall when there is no Honey on the hive:
 
Spread about 1 tablespoon of slurry on a thin 3"x 24" plastic strip and put
into hive entrance, cross corner, for 1day. I use a plastic kitchen spatula
to spread evenly, without thick spots.
 
If you have Varroa mites , you will see them on the strip.  
 
Regards,
Henry Bolanos
Connecticut, USA