Author Topic: Sticky board - what’s it saying?  (Read 2649 times)

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Offline Lastfling

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Sticky board - what’s it saying?
« on: December 07, 2018, 03:08:12 pm »
I pulled and cleaned the sticky boards in both my hives and here are the boards as they came out.  Other than several dead hive beetles, grains of sugar, scattered pollen, a few dead ants and 2 mites on one board , none on the other that I saw what else is this telling me?  Bees on the left frames in hive 1 and fairly centered in 2?



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Offline Jacobs

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Re: Sticky board - what’s it saying?
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2018, 06:39:51 pm »
Definitely giving you the location of the clusters, and my guess would be that the one on the left with more and better defined debris is stronger or more active.  I don't generally use screened bottom boards, so the last part really is a guess.

Offline neillsayers

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Re: Sticky board - what’s it saying?
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2018, 08:11:20 pm »
Lastfling, It's important to know how long the boards were installed. 2 mites is great, way below treatment threshold but if the boards were in for a long time ants could have pulled them off. It does indicate just how much trash drops to the floor that the house bees usually clean up. :)
Neill Sayers
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USDA Zone 7a

Offline Lastfling

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Re: Sticky board - what’s it saying?
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2018, 08:35:23 pm »
Neil those boards had been in two  weeks.  I normally aim for weekly checks just to see what’s going on.


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Offline Lburou

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Re: Sticky board - what’s it saying?
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2018, 08:39:21 pm »
I believe the tiny black pellets are wax moth detritus.  You will find the larva in the frames above the pellets.  But I wouldn't look for them in a strong hive, especially this time of year.  :)
Lee_Burough