Top Bar Beekeeping Forum

[Gary]

Here is a last minute trick for the application of powdered sugar to a TBH if you do not have ANY application devices.

Items needed:

A box or sac of powdered sugar
A large gravy spoon (not a ladle)
Several pieces of stiff cardboard cut to fit on the bottom of the hive under the brood nest (be sure you can remove the cardboard while holding it level to prevent dumping a pile of sugar and mites back into the hive)
A jar to dump the sugar into for later analysis
Full battle rattle (all protective gear)
Smoke (if you need it)

Open the hive as usual from the rear. Smoke them if you must.
Insure you have enough room to work (make a dry run with the cardboard)
FROM THE FRONT part the first two bars enough to dump spoonfuls of powdered sugar between.
Go slow and insure the sugar starts to hit the card board
Move to the next gap and repeat until the brood nest is complete!

Leave the cardboard in place long enough for bee movement to distribute the sugar to the bottom. Remove the cardboard and filter the contents through a cloth or hose with alcohol and count the mites!

One problem with this I can see is any residual mite fall which happens over the next 24 hours may crawl back up into the colony! At least you will succeed in knocking down the mite population!

This is just an idea so adjust/improve on it to suit individual needs!!!!!!!!
_________________
Gary
www.hirschbachapiary.com
gary@hirschbachapiary.com

With being at the top of the food chain comes the responsibility of protecting it! Not the right to destroy it.

Procrastination is the assassination of inspiration!

[professor]

Good info Gary, it should help in a pinch.
_________________
“Against a man’s stupidity even the gods are helpless”- Greek saying