Linda said:

> Last year I tried the 'sugar roll' with a negative result on hives that were
> showing visible signs of infestation.(Varroa in drone brood easily found,
> and mites seen in hives or on bees) I just tried again on a feral colony
> with the same visible signs, this time carefully collecting my bees from the
> brood area, as recommended by Jeff Pettis (sp?) at the BBKA spring
> convention this year. No varroa mites falling through the coarse sieve onto
> the fine. Lots of bees looking very funny.

No mites at all?  Something must be amiss.  Take a look at:

 http://entomology.unl.edu/beekpg/tidings/btid2000/btdjan00.htm#Article2

Marion Ellis led the group that worked out the "sugar roll", so the web
page is "the word" on how to do it.  Did they get mites when they
demonstrated the technique at BBKA?  If so, perhaps someone who is
near you can make a "house call" to take a look at your technique....

In the absence of details, the only plausible straw I can grasp at is a guess
that you are using damp, lumpy powdered sugar with big ugly fat chunks,
and a very low percentage of dust-like particles in the 1 - 5 micron range.

It is the tiny little particles that clog up the mite's suction cups and make
them fall.  No tiny little particles, no mite drop, no matter how much sugar
you use, or how long you "roll" or "shake".

So my best guess is to suggest that you go down to the market, get a
fresh bag of powdered sugar, open it, sift in two or three times, and try
again before the sugar has a chance to get moist from humidity.

Other than that, I am stumped.

> They won't get accepted by the wrong hive either...a side issue I
> pursued...

If I understand you correctly, you expect the sugar roll to turn
the tested bees into "neutral" bees with no pheromones from
their own hive.

I wouldn't.  They would still have their proper hive's scent.
They bear no gifts of pollen or nectar.  I think you should
put them back in their own hive after rolling them.

They don't need a fight after the little amusement park ride
in the sugar, now do they?  Isn't a "bad hair day" enough
when one's entire body is covered in tiny hairs, and one
has no shower?  :)


        jim

        Farmageddon

        (...where we are up late tonight, upgrading 200
             routers around the planet so at least some of
             you can read things like Bee-L even faster....)