Varroa!

[RoseCottage]

I understand that selected drone culling is a good Varroa control. Early season culling can help reduce the Varroa in the hive, no? And again later in the season...

Sam

 

[Skyhook]

Samuel, since it has not been picked up for clarification in previous response posts. Are you on a solid floor? Your wording implies it. If so I would rec a changed to an open mesh floor (OMF) as soon as possible, then any detached but living mites can drop into oblivion.

I agree. The crucial thing is to know how many mites you have. I understand monitoring is possible with a solid floor, it's a lot simpler with OMF as well as the benefit of mites plunging to a cold and lonely death on the ground below. Once you know how many mites are dropping per day over a period, youi know where you stand, and can check that on beebase to see if you have a problem.

 

[louiseww]

but............when using icing sugar, grind it up yourself rather than using the stuff from the shops which has lots of anticaking agents in it!
Louise