Reading the Varroa Board

[gmonag]

I vaped four hives yesterday and took photos today of the varroa boards to aid counting the mites. I have attached the photos (NB the distortion is caused by Photoshop stitching two photos together). The top of the photo is the front of the hive, frames are cold-way.

The varroa drop is easy to see and count and I am pleased with the result. I can also see where the cluster is and how big it is. My question is:

Is it possible to read the boards for other information, e.g. Is brood present? Is there disease? Which stores are they eating? etc.

Any ideas?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Here are a few to be going on with
The cluster will be where the cappings are. You can see that nicely in a couple of boards. One is showing that there is either no real cluster or a loose one. Generally brood cappings are brown and stores cappings ( unless old) are pale. You can see pale ones in your pictures.
When the bees are drawing wax you’ll see wax flakes. If they have nosema or CBPV you’ll see farces in the boards. Other common things are earwigs ants wax moth mouse and shrew poo.
If you have a mouse in there you’ll see lots of wax dropping on one place where the mouse has destroyed the comb.
If the hive is being robbed there will be torn wax caps across the board.

 

[gmonag]

Sorry everything came out so BIG - I was expecting a small attatchments box

I managed to deduce those things but I'm after more subtle indicators.

OK just saw your edit - many thanks

 

[Swarm]

If you look at the debris, you can tell brood cappings from stores by colour, the faint lines of whiter debris in the first pics would suggest they have uncapped some stores on three outer frames.
I can't tell if the white bits on the last pics are fondant or bits of OA.

 

[gmonag]

.
I can't tell if the white bits on the last pics are fondant or bits of OA.

Not fondant - I don't feed,but could be OA.

 

[gmonag]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Any clues there as to the presence of brood or not?

 

[Millet]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Any clues there as to the presence of brood or not?

Yes if the bees are uncapping brood which the dark brown wax indicates..whether the brood is alive or not is a different matter...as for feeding.. i would reconsider your comment where you say you do not feed..you need to weigh the hives or heft them to decide if they need food or not..the worst thing you can do is leave them to it..

 

[Swarm]

It really depends on the beekeeper's approach, my mate doesn't feed his colonies, never has. All his bees have a super for winter and he doesn't lose colonies.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It comes down to feeding if they need it.
If you leave them a super they are not likely to.

 

[gmonag]

i would reconsider your comment where you say you do not feed..you need to weigh the hives or heft them to decide if they need food or not..the worst thing you can do is leave them to it..

Each of my hives (Rose) was left with 18kg+ of stores for the winter. That should be enough, and I weigh them once a week, with scales accurate to 50g

 

[gmonag]

Yes if the bees are uncapping brood which the dark brown wax indicates..whether the brood is alive or not is a different matter...

So the presence of dark wax debris would indicate some brood activity?

I have decided to leave the varroa boards in (but 100mm lower than usual) to monitor them for indicators and try to learn to read them if possible.

 

[hemo]

As you say the boards give an idea of brood /seam coverage.
Not all of the dark capping's may be brood ones, some may be older store capping's as well.
Capping's are a good sign of at least a colony that is alive, importantly varroa drop will be an indication of how well the oxalic winter treatment may be going. The real unknown is how much brood may be present though any concentrated darker capping's lend to an idea of coverage.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

I have decided to leave the varroa boards in (but 100mm lower than usual) to monitor them for indicators and try to learn to read them if possible.

In my view, leaving the monitoring board in is no bad thing. It stops warm moist air being sucked out of the hive, to some extent, by turbulence under the hive. If you're keen on ventilation, you can leave the board slightly "ajar" but I'm not sure the bees need much ventilation.

Prof Tom Seeley tells us that most wild bee enclosures in trees manage with one 40mm dia entrance - no additional ventilation is needed although in a tree the unseasoned wood might absorb more moisture than a hive made from thin seasoned timber. Don't forget to put some insulation under the roof, assuming you are using wooden hives - a poly hive does not need this extra insulation.

CVB

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have decided to leave the varroa boards in (but 100mm lower than usual)

'Tis exactly what I do
Most of my floors are deeper with an under entrance so there is a nice gap at the back if the boards are in

 

[gmonag]

Like this:

 

[gmonag]

Anyone know what the cylindrical objects are? I'm thinking wax moth larvae faeces.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Earwig poo?

 

[beeno]

Hi all,
I used to think earwig, but I now tend to think wax moth on account of forgetting some broken comb in a bucket. No earwigs in there, but some wax moth.

 

[gmonag]

I've seen lots of earwig poo (and earwigs) on top of the crown board and that was much smaller, almost dust-like.

 

[Swarm]

The fine stuff is wood louse, earwig and wax moth are similar but wax moth is slightly bigger and more uniform in shape. That looks more like earwig.