> I think the thresholds are the same for the Minnesota sugar shake and for alcohol wash if they are done correctly.

Another thing to factor in is what is your reason for testing. If you are going to use something benign like powder sugar treatment, I would act on a low number. If I was thinking about using a costly time consuming treatment, I might lean to the higher numbers. Also, a lot depends on your experience. Some colonies seem to be able to tolerate higher numbers, and in some climates high numbers are not as serious. 

The second issue is whether to treat hives or yards. I have always felt that one samples a few hives in a yard and then treats the yard accordingly. If I do 10% and they are all low, I may forgo treatment for the time. If I check 10% and any are high, I would lean toward treating all the hives in the yard, on the assumption that some may be soon crashing and the mites will spill over into the other hives. 

In the case of AFB, for example, I always recommend treating the whole yard after finding a case of AFB, regardless of whether you burn the case, move it to a hospital yard, or attempt to cure it. Presumably, if one hive has a raging case of it, the infection is around and the others may break down soon. Other folks will do differently, I know. The opinions expressed here represent the opinions of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of those who hold other opinions.


PLB

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