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.

3 comments:

Cameo said...

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!

Matthew said...

Check out the Facebook page for the NYCBA.

amarilla said...

Get rid of mites with powdered sugar!? Sounds like you made it up. I've never heard of a sugar bath before.