Varroa Alcohol Wash

In partnership with Ontario Animal Health Network – Varroa Mite Monitoring (Part 3)

Melanie Kempers, Research Technician at the Ontario Beekeepers Association Technology Transfer Program, demonstrates the alcohol wash method of monitoring for Varroa mites.



Filmed and Edited by Andrew Pitek.

We would like to thank Québec beekeepers Marie-Hélène Majeau and Susan Kennerknecht for translating our videos into French. We are very grateful for their help with this project. (To view translation, click on settings then subtitles)

Nous aimerions remercier deux apicultrices du Québec, Marie-Hélène Majeau et Susan Kennerknecht pour la traduction de ces vidéos en français. Nous leur en sommes très reconnaissants. (Pour accéder à la traduction française, sélectionnez paramètres et ensuite sous-titres)

[erikrichards]

Great video! Thanks for the valuable instructions. Side note: Melanie is obviously super-human and impervious to stings and pain! Much respect!

[BKBees]

This is gold. We should all share this around to our beekeeping friends. Thank you.

[ashman]

Thanks for the clip... First time I've seen it done as I live in Oz. My hives are about to be destroyed in NSW because Varroa has only just hit our shores so we are eradicating all hives within 10km of any Varroa detected hives. Current count is 39 detections since June. Pretty devistated but if we can stop it, it will be worth it.

[ethangoo]

I wondered what happened to them and reading all the comments I found new way of doing it. Thanks for the video.

[Westernwilson]

Like Melanie I wear a black fit tracker watch. I find the bees HATE the black watch and sting my wrist a lot, so I cover it now with a white tennis wrist band. Looks silly, works great!

[skopljo]

good job man, in this video, and also every other vid. i like too watch u working :)

[beebob]

Finally someone with numbers for the sticky boards. Thanks.

[Brewmaster]

New bee keeper here, I love your videos, very informative. Subscribed, look forward to watching more!!

[zatnikatel]

I did my first alcool wash and I only found 1 mite. Ill note it my log then Ill compare with another test next month

[ابوكرمللسيراميك]

Hello sir. If we do alcohol washing. When do we treat Varroa? How many varroa the minimum acceptable to not treat in half a cup of bees

[tomfairbourn]

Great info and explained very well, seams the only real effective way is the alcohol wash the other option have to many variables that will never give a true mite count.
I like how you are setting up videos in a series

[Eli.True.North.]

wil you add more videos on Verroa treatment?

[eas]

I have a fairly weak hive— one 10 frame box is loaded with capped and open and the second brood box is being slowly drawn out. The hive was knocked over a few weeks ago on a cold rainy day and they lost quite a few bees. They are recovering but are Far behind my other hives. Alcohol mite testing turned up 4 mites total....so less than 2%.... I will definitely put in some drone cell frames.... would you treat them? (I’d probably be using formic acid) but am concerned about the potential loss of bees/ brood with the treatment....Not sure what to do...

[carlospereira]

I'd like to know if you ever use Oxalic Acid. If you do, how often is this treatment detrimental to the Queen? Many beekeepers believe Oxalic Acid is not damaging the bees. True?

[bekircankarabag]

What part of the year is ideal if u were to do this once a year just to be safe? October?

[bradprather]

again, really useful information. do you use screens on all hives?

[kimberlyoosthuizen]

I'm having a hard time sourcing alcohol right now- would vinegar work?

[alfredobonillacastaneda]

Do you have a store? And if so do you sale queens?.

[Westernwilson]

Germane to this video: at a recent lecture by Les Eccles to the BCHPA, he emphasized the importance of doing midsummer mite treatments.

[chris]

Nice. We monitor the mites with powdered sugar. It's very similar to your method, and the tested bees stay alive.