Karen and all
I think the sticky board is the unreliable one. Suppose hive A drops
twice as many mites as hive B. What does that mean? If the colonies
are the same size, it may mean one is twice as infested as the other.
But it could also be one colony has twice as many bees, so the rate
is the same.

If the level is high it could mean the cluster is very close to the
bottom board. If the level is low, is may mean the hive is almost
dead.

With the ether roll you get mites per sample. You also get to look at
the colony. If the number is high but the hive is otherwise strong
that means one thing, if the number is low but the hive is nearly
depopulated -- something else.

--

Peter Borst <[log in to unmask]>