Integrated Pest Management. This grid comes with a screened IPM bottom board. It allows you to count the aptly named Varroa destructor mites, a serious pest to bee hives, which fall through the screen onto this grid. We're going to be sugaring the frames to take care of the mites. This is a labor intensive method, but with only one hive to care for, not really a problem. Sugaring means that you sprinkle powdered sugar onto all the frames in the hive, covering the bees. The sugar helps to dislodge the mites and makes the bees clean each other extra hard (they'll eat the sugar), which may dislodge even more mites.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
IPM
Integrated Pest Management. This grid comes with a screened IPM bottom board. It allows you to count the aptly named Varroa destructor mites, a serious pest to bee hives, which fall through the screen onto this grid. We're going to be sugaring the frames to take care of the mites. This is a labor intensive method, but with only one hive to care for, not really a problem. Sugaring means that you sprinkle powdered sugar onto all the frames in the hive, covering the bees. The sugar helps to dislodge the mites and makes the bees clean each other extra hard (they'll eat the sugar), which may dislodge even more mites.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
3 comments:
Hi there! I'm an SF urban Beekeeper, and I'm opening a beekeeping store in San Francisco. I'm in NYC from May 8th - 13th, and I'd love to meet up with some NYC beekeepers while I'm there! If you have any ideas of people/places I can visit, I'd love to hear it! Thanks!
Check out the Facebook page for the NYCBA.
Get rid of mites with powdered sugar!? Sounds like you made it up. I've never heard of a sugar bath before.
Post a Comment