Rapid scan method for varroa counting.

[Pete Nicholson]

Just spent a lot of minutes counting my monitor trays - after done; tried an experiment and this led to an idea.........
Principle: Laser deflecting horizontally across monitor board received by full width diode array detector coupled to pulse totaliser. Laser source set approx 2 cm. above board.

Now the clever bit.........

With a gas powered blow lamp (as you would use for sterilising all your hive bits) rapidly play the flame over the entire boards surface and when the flame contacts the mite - it explodes and rises at least the required distance to break the beam and register a count. All other debris melts and can be scraped off afterwards.

It's Fun - it's humane - and I can't see the WWF complaining; and it is completed in under 15 seconds.

Anyone want to develop this?

P.

 

[Outlander]

You appear to have far to much time on your hands.

 

[Pete Nicholson]

Grumpy hasn't replied! )

 

[drstitson]

Oh FFS. KISS

take a piece of card with a hole in it, say 4x4cm. lay randomly on board.
count mites. repeat several times. calculate average.
multiply by 100 or whatever is monitoring board/mesh area divided by area of sample.

 

[Pete Nicholson]

Whoa DR - posted tongue in cheek!!
P.

 

[drstitson]

remember some people don't seem to be able to recognise varroa fullstop let alone count them.

 

[Outlander]

remember some people don't seem to be able to recognise varroa fullstop let alone count them.

Don't be silly they live in the roof space, they have long slender bodies and pincers on the tail and about 1/2 inch long balck and brown in colour.

 

[Pete Nicholson]

DR. - But as a electronic engineer in a past life - it would work and you don't have to recognise the mite to get one to explode. )

 

[drstitson]

that'll be them!

and of course absolute counts are only truly important when assessing natural drop.

for treatment induced drops all one cares about is relative orders of magnitude and change in drop over treatment period.

so hive A drops bugger all after HM thymol. hive B drops too many to count (without blowtorch assistance). Hive B gets oxalic xmas present.

 

[Pete Nicholson]

Outlander - time is what I'm proposing we save.

 

[itma]

Does anyone actually use Meths?







/ to separate varroa from the floor debris. Everything else is supposed to sink, leaving the mites floating.

// while some might have some suspicions about some forum members ... I'm not meaning to pry!

 

[Pete Nicholson]

Dr - Totally agree! but I would treat hive A anyway along the seams just as insurance.

P.

 

[REDWOOD]

If I was a commercial beekeeper and had a few hundred then yes devise a easy system for counting but with just a few hives it's not worth the effort, you could however make your inspection trays a chess board with a black marker and only count the white squares and double the varroa count

 

[REDWOOD]

Does anyone actually use Meths?

In my younger days yes, when pink paraffin was no longer available at service stations but now i'v seen the light

 

[drstitson]

personally i find that industrial alcohol consumption hinders one's ability to count varroa somewhat.

 

[PBee]

personally i find that industrial alcohol consumption hinders one's ability to count varroa somewhat.

Try closing one eye - then its easy to do the meths.

 

[madasafish]

Does anyone actually use Meths?







/ to separate varroa from the floor debris. Everything else is supposed to sink, leaving the mites floating.

// while some might have some suspicions about some forum members ... I'm not meaning to pry!

I only use meths to drink - other uses are waste of good alcohol..

Now where are my glasses?

 

[Alabamaeee]

Don't known about meths but I'm sure our Irish beeks will have used Poteen to make up their Thymolated syrup!

 

[VEG]

I dont bother counting them saves even more time

 

[Bee-Key-Pur]

If you're short of time, take a photo and title it the hive number, enlarge and count....