> Does a powdered sugar shake produce the same quality of results? No. It is very unreliable and can give very low counts on a seriously loaded hive. Not recommended. My favourite? The 3 day mite drop. It requires some interpretation, though, and a suitable floor and screen. It is non-destructive, can be done anytime and tells quite a bit more than just mite counts. That is not to say that a wash does not require some understanding of the season and amount of brood for interpretation. *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at: http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm