>I think you mite be confusing your mites here.  Diana works mostly with
>tracheal mited (her licence plate is ACARPIS).  The questing study was her
>graduate thesis on Acarpis woodi (tracheal mites).

If I am recalling correctly (and it has been over a year) the Varroa (and
perhaps mites in general) have some of the same weaknesses. The issue was
also covered with screen inserts where the fallen mite will not move more
that about 3/4 of an inch when it begins to quest for a host. There were a
number of others in the conversation and I am afraid that I may be
miscrediting the information (although Diana was there).

>> I am considering an experiment where I put in a sticky board
>> and lift the brood frames one at a time and spray them with sugar water
to
induce
>> grooming. Very labor intesive but if I find a high mite drop it may be
>> something to add to SOP for a hive inspection.

>Less work to test using the powdered sugar method.  It's similar to the
>ether roll method, but rather than ether you use 1 tsp of confectioners
>suger.


I'm not thinking about testing here. Just trying to cause a mite drop. The
sugar method is a great test (I hate killing bees). But if on a normal
instection of the hive I can mist the frames I lift with a little sugar
water and add to the mite drop it may help reduce the number of other
treatments I need. I figure anything I can do to hurt the mites will extend
the time between Apistan treatments. The final method would be to have a
screen bottom board in place and just spray the frames I lift from the brood
chamber as a matter of procedure. I have used water sprays in the past
(along with a normal application of smoke) to calm the bees when doing
extensive inspections.