Well, fall is almost here and we are wondering what to do to assess our mite problem (if any). As you may recall, one trachael mite was found on some bees from the windows of our honey house last fall. Our wintering was the best ever; spring and summer were as good as one can expect from such a cool season here in Alberta. Now we are wondering what we should consider doing: Acarine is a definite possible Varroa is not yet here (as far as we know) The questions: What sampling should we be doing? (if any) What rate of sampling should we use? When should we sample? What methods should be used to evaluate the samples? We bought a microscope, and it is very educational, but I can see that we are not going to do all our own lab work and keep 1500 hives at the same time. Any advice for picking a sampling service? How thorough are they? Do they mix samples up? What should we be considering in making a decision? Hope that a few people can offer excperience and insights on this. TIA W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper VE6CFK Rural Route One Swalwell Alberta Canada T0M 1Y0 Email: [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask] Futures, Art & Honey:http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/~dicka