Please keep in mind there are very few bees near me. Used to be my neighbor had a hive, and one of bee club's kids we were mentoring had a hive, I'm not sure if his made it, my neighbor sold his hive off after one sting too many when I had extra buyers for mine.
Top varroa count was on the 3 box stack that is hive 3, but was the only hive I had deliberately kept this spring. 53 on the sticky board after it had been in 4 days. But I have noted that when those fall bees hatch I get a lot of varroa out where I can see them, and all 3 hives have a bit of brood in them right now.
Hive 1: had a month long brood break while the queen was above the inner cover, so no varroa. BeeWeavers fall queen.
Hive 2: only 2 boxes in stack, not much brood now, lots of bees and the drones have all been evicted I think from all 3 hives. 4 or 5 varroa on the sticky. Hot little hive, VSH queen daughter locally mated. Duct tape is a wonderful thing. I sprinkled Organic Powdered Sugar on top of the top frames. They should distribute it.
Hive 3, the one with 53, has about 2 full dual sided deep frames full of capped brood, so I painted the bees in the deep with powdered sugar. Fortunately they are a very docile VSH hive, brood count is probably that high because there hasn't been a brood break in that box of over a week in the last couple of years and last year I didn't treat with anything. When I requeened I squashed the hot queen and painted her on the new queen's cage, so it was a good takeoff.
I find what really knocks varroa back for me are screened bottom boards and a brood break. If I don't feed enough in summer that happens on its own pretty well. This year I fed. No pics, working alone.
I will scrape and reoil my stickies tomorrow afternoon as the powdered sugar will soak up the oil. I am such a disappointment to people that sell treatments.
