Good morning Allen, Sorry to hear that you have mites but I am glad to see that you purchased a microscope. I have found it to be not only a way to avoid commercial sampling fees but a great way to get results quickly. I have occassionaly found a yard that was simply 'not right', so I take a few samples and dissect them the same night. Here are some tips I have found that have really helped me. - get set up with a good light source if your microscope does not have its own. - I never pin down the bee. Rather I hold it in my hand and move it around to locate and focus. - Get a REALLY GOOD pair of tweezers. This is crucial. Mine come from a lapidary/jewellery supplier here in Edmonton. - I, too, found menthanol makes the bees tough. I located a source of denatured ethanol which I mix 50-50 with water. The bees die instantly and dissection is much easier. The only problem with this firm is that they do not sell over the counter and sell only to established accounts. If you are interested, let me know and I will pass the information along. I could also order some on my account and have it shipped to you if you wish. The minimum order was about 4 litres and 2 years ago this was about $50. However, it will last me for years and years. I, too, am concerned about missing low levels of infection. Since we don't know much about the quality control at any of the labs, I suppose the risk is there as well - although perhaps not as great as it is with our inexperience. It does take time. Even packaging the samples and sending them off takes time and I find that once I get rolling I can do about a bee a minute although I find it exhausting to go for more than an hour or so. I have set up microscopes, equipment, radio, etc. in a spare room so if I bring home a sample I can test it in relative comfort with little 'set up' time. Good luck. Oh yes, there was a suggestion that you put extender patties on in the fall. I tried this one year and the same patties were there in the spring. I also unwrapped to find a terrible mite problem. If the problem is severe I would recommend formic acid treatment as soon as your honey is removed. Eric Abell