Hello All,

I’m searching for procedures for harvesting mites and how to infest a 
specific bee.

I have purchased some high end video equipment (well, hi end to me 
anyways) ;), and want to video tape a grooming event in one of my colonies 
that are exhibiting the trait.

I don't know any good ways to do this,,, but,,,
I plan on harvesting my varroa from capped drone cells, and choosing 
mature female varroa from the bunch.  If these varroa are placed on a bee, 
how soon till they begin feeding?  OR do you think that it is necessary 
for a varroa to begin feeding in order for the bee to ‘solicite’ 
grooming?  Also curious if varroa tend to stay on the bee you place them 
on, and should I wait some time before reintroducing the bee to the colony?

Also, I want to mark the bee with queen paint so I can track her easier 
with the camera,  do you think this would pose a problem for the validity 
of the experiment?

If so, I think I may be able to work around this problem as I discovered 
last season that the grooming bees are consumed in the event and can be 
carefully scooped off the comb and into a container, and they usually 
continue with the grooming sequence and fly back to the hive when finished.

Anybody have experience with these types of experiments?
If you could please send reply 'off list' I would appreciate it, so as not 
to use up archive space, and will be happy to share the video sequence 
deptecting the grooming of a mite with you if I should be so lucky to 
capture the event.

Thanks in advance, for the help!

Joe Waggle
Derry, PA
“Bees Gone Wild Apiaries”
FeralBeeProject.com
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HistoricalHoneybeeArticles

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