The missing Varroa: did the ants do it?

[pistolpete]

I have full time white plastic boards installed under the screened bottom board.  For that last couple of months I've been noticing very few mites on the boards.  I figured the mite count could not possibly be 2 or 3 mites/ week, so I got suspicious.  I also noticed small black ants always foraging on the boards.    So I cleaned off the plastic and sprayed it with Pam.   Sure enough, after one week I have about 30 mites on there.   I consider that a fairly low count for a strong colony in summer, but there's a lesson here. 

  I believe the ants carried off all the mites that dropped down.    I've not encountered this before, but possibly I have a different species of ant foraging the hive droppings this year.

[Riverrat]

just thought are you running a sricky board.  If not could the mites be crawling back up into the hive.

[pistolpete]

The Pam makes it sticky, but ordinarily It's just a normal piece of plastic sign board.    In years past the mites have dropped down and stayed on the board.  Some do no doubt climb back up, but most die down there. 

[lazy shooter]

Where I live in West Texas, we have the imported red fire ants.  There are great foragers of protein.  They have rid out area of ticks.  There is no doubt in my mind that these ants would carry mites back to their mounds.  Maybe some of your ants are also protein eaters.

[GLOCK]

I all ways go by  alcohol wash's .
Sticky boards  are not that accurate but if your dropping 30+ a day you better do some thing.
I used OAV at the end of last year an so far I tested 4 hives this month and not one mite in my alcohol wash's .
Is this a dream come true? Could this be no  mites in my bee yards?  I plan on testing all my hives on SUN.
But so far I am not seeing mites or DWV or PMS no crawlers just healthy hives.  I have my brood box's  on 4.9 cell and no other beekeeper's for well over 10 miles so maybe Varroa  is not going to be a problem this year . Either way I am ready.

[LazyBkpr]

I really like the results I have seen with OAV as well Glock..  Astounded and amazed to be honest.

[pistolpete]

Glock: that was 30 mites in a week, not a day.  I agree that sticky boards are not very accurate, but they allow a rough idea nevertheless.

[GLOCK]

I really like the results I have seen with OAV as well Glock..  Astounded and amazed to be honest.

I tested most these hive this past SUN.

AllAll these hives and I didn't find 1 mite . 3 hours and this many dead bee's and no mites.
Sure makes me happy I will be testing again in SEPT . but last year at this time my sticky boards looked like this after treating with OAV.

So what do you all think ? OAV seems to work pretty well.
Plus most my hives are on 4.9 cell .
Thank you.

[LazyBkpr]

Complete agreement.

   I cannot confirm or deny how much small cell helps, but I do know it certainly does not hurt, and I also like the extra..   20,000? cells per hive (two deeps or three mediums) that it gives the queen to lay in..
   ALSO, as I understand it from reading, the crystals that kill the mites are not something they can adapt to or build immunity to, but that is research conducted by others that I cannot confirm or deny either..

   So lets see...
   Nothing harmful to the bees.
   Honey already has OA in it.
   It is a naturally occurring compound in most plants.
   It is inexpensive
   It is easy to use
   If used properly it poses no danger to the beekeeper
   Supposedly... it can be used with supers ON (But I don't treat with supers on)
   It kills mites..  a LOT of mites...

    Sounds like the silver bullet to me...   But then.. there is no money in it, so it is not likely to become approved...
   So the search to "develop" a safe and effective treatment continues..........