>> I would like to see Allen attempt to take and interpret mite washes 
on his
 >> web site next year.
 >
 > Actually, that is my next move.

I went out and did a sugar shake using two tablespoons of icing sugar 
and leaving the bees sitting for a few minutes as Gary recommended.  I 
then shook all the sugar through a screen onto a saucer and added 
water.  I saw 17 varroa.

The bees were taken off a frame with sealed brood in the middle and 
brood being sealed around the outside.

I then added alcohol to the same bees and did the Alberta Bee Shaker 
thing and got an additional 21 varroa -- besides the first 17 that were 
still in the saucer.

This is from a three storey hive that has dropped an average of 64 mites 
a day over the past five days, with a range from 41 to 107.

I'll do a few more.

FWIW.

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