White Varroa.

[Millet]

I stuck a new inspection board in yesterday and checked it today they was around 20 mites on it with 1/3 of them being white, i think i have read somewhere that the white ones are from new brood..?? which has me confused but then again yesterday the amount of bee's flying which looked like orientation flights make me think new brood may still be in there.

I treated them in August with apilife var and around 2wk's ago with a vaporizer with little drop afterwards, 2wks later the mites are dropping again where are they coming from as i have none one minute then load's the next minute, i did gas them again today so i will see what the drop is on my next visit..

Here is some pictures from the front of the hive yesterday, the weather was roughly the same today but very little bee's where flying..

 

[Hawklord]

Have you a picture of the white mites? It might be bee eggs, sometimes they turf them out if they are dead.

 

[Millet]

They are full grown or there abouts Varroa mite Col but white..

 

[Erichalfbee]

Protonymphs and deutonymphs (the nymph stages of the varroa, before adulthood) are white.
Are you seeing any immature bee pupae on the floor or landing board?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Varroa Mite Reproductive Biology...

http://articles.extension.org/pages/65450/varroa-mite-reproductive-biology#.VkpD9L9GTYg

 

[B+.]

was around 20 mites on it with 1/3 of them being white,

I treated them in August with apilife var and around 2wk's ago with a vaporizer with little drop afterwards, 2wks later the mites are dropping again where are they coming from as i have none one minute then load's the next minute, i did gas them again today so i will see what the drop is on my next visit..

I think you are talking about the protonymph and deutonymph. They are transparent initially but darken as they mature (https://youtu.be/a2vg59Snt6c). Only the adult female will survive when the adult honeybee emerges from its cell. This is probably why you are noticing the earlier stages of the mite.

At this time of year, I would expect the colonies to be broodless, but, you must still have some emerging brood in there if you're seeing young mites

 

[masterBK]

Aren't the males white? What happens to them after mating? If they die do they get turfed out of the cells by the house cleaner bees? They are smaller I believe than females.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes smaller, about a quarter of the size of the female.
I've never seen one though.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Aren't the males white? What happens to them after mating?

Varroa mite reproductive biology...

http://articles.extension.org/pages/65450/varroa-mite-reproductive-biology#.VkpG8r9GTYh

 

[B+.]

I've never seen one though.

They're slightly pointed at the front with modified front legs whereas the female is round.

You'd only see them under a microscope. They're just too small and transparent to see unaided

 

[Itchy]

Good find hivemaker

 

[Millet]

Why do i still get mite drop, white ones included this time of the year especially when i have hammered them with a Thymol based product and then Oxalic Acid.

Are robber's being allowed in.. ?????

 

[Hawklord]

Why do i still get mite drop, white ones included this time of the year especially when i have hammered them with a Thymol based product and then Oxalic Acid.

Are robber's being allowed in.. ?????

Excellent link by Hivemaker.

You need to Vapourise 3 times at 5 day intervals if doing it when brood is present, otherwise mites in the capped cells will not be killed. The white mites are undeveloped females due to them not having enough time in the cell as it's worker and not drone cells.

 

[Millet]

Excellent link by Hivemaker.

You need to Vapourise 3 times at 5 day intervals if doing it when brood is present, otherwise mites in the capped cells will not be killed. The white mites are undeveloped females due to them not having enough time in the cell as it's worker and not drone cells.

I presumed the Queen had stopped laying ready for winter, obviously she has not or was laying later than normal, if i knew she was still laying i would have gassed them at 5 day intervals.
What is the latest in the year Col that this strain of Queen lay..

 

[Millet]

Protonymphs and deutonymphs (the nymph stages of the varroa, before adulthood) are white.
Are you seeing any immature bee pupae on the floor or landing board?

There's no sign of immature bees Ericha, i have not opened the hive for over a month now so i don't know what is laying on the floor but there is none on the landing board.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Why do i still get mite drop, white ones included this time of the year especially when i have hammered them with a Thymol based product and then Oxalic Acid.

Are robber's being allowed in.. ?????

you will always have mites in your colony - all you can hope to do is keep their numbers down to a manageable level. You done more than sufficient for this winter - I would just put the inspection board back in the shed and stop counting

 

[Millet]

It's my first colony Jenky so i suppose i'm a bit over cautious, if i can get this colony through winter and the next season i may well calm down a little..

 

[Cussword]

you will always have mites in your colony - all you can hope to do is keep their numbers down to a manageable level. You done more than sufficient for this winter - I would just put the inspection board back in the shed and stop counting

This is my first Winter with my own bees. Thanks to the information that I've picked up from this forum I honestly believe that I've done all I can to set them up.
Doesn't stop me from feeling blind panic though.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's my first colony Jenky so i suppose i'm a bit over cautious, if i can get this colony through winter and the next season i may well calm down a little..

 

[YorkshireBees]

I presumed the Queen had stopped laying ready for winter, obviously she has not or was laying later than normal, if i knew she was still laying i would have gassed them at 5 day intervals.
What is the latest in the year Col that this strain of Queen lay..

Never presume anything!
No idea what the weather has been like in your area but, besides a couple of nights, we have had very mild / warm weather so far this Autumn and it wouldn't surprise me in the least to find brood in any of my colonies.