# Can i pick a mite off a bee?



## kaizen (Mar 20, 2015)

Just getting into this hobby so I'm not fully versed on disease and pests. I'd like to do as natural beekeeping as I can. I am going to use the freeze drone brood method and probably a chemical at least for my first years if I see a big problem. But I was thinking if I see a bee with a veroa mite on it and I leave the mite alone wont it then lay another couple hundred mites in the hive? and so on and so on? so every single one we can take out should prevent hundreds later? Can I physically pick the mite off the bee? If not should that bee be killed?


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## Tim KS (May 9, 2014)

kaizen, I think you're getting a mite knit-picky here.  I don't know how you're going to convince a working girl to hold still while you scratch her back.


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## kaizen (Mar 20, 2015)

funny. my theory is sound though right? wouldn't it make sense to eliminate the infected bee? and doing so would reduce the mites later in the hive?


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## Ian G (Jul 29, 2014)

To me anyway, yes your theory is sound. HOWEVER, lets say you have a 3% infestation rate. That equates to 3 bees out of every 100 would have a mite on them. Good luck figuring out which bees have a mite when your holding a frame with 2000+ bees on it that are all moving and scurrying about


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

not to mention the ones in the brood that you can't see


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## AR Beekeeper (Sep 25, 2008)

During a study in New Zealand researchers wanted 100 jars with 200 bee in each jars and they wanted samples with good varroa populations. The researchers caught and counted individual bees and made sure that 2 or 3 of the bees in each sample had visible varroa riding on them. They saw only 2 or 3 bees with visible varroa, but when the jars were checked for varroa counts each jar had from 100 to 150 mites in them. If you start seeing varroa on the adult bees you have a very large population.


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## kaizen (Mar 20, 2015)

Ian G said:


> To me anyway, yes your theory is sound. HOWEVER, lets say you have a 3% infestation rate. That equates to 3 bees out of every 100 would have a mite on them. Good luck figuring out which bees have a mite when your holding a frame with 2000+ bees on it that are all moving and scurrying about


I get ya. I'm not saying i'll be in looking for them just saying like a hive beetle if I see one I should kill it. I see tons of videos and they say look theres a mite but then don't do anything. seems killing it if you can would make sense.


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## kaizen (Mar 20, 2015)

AR Beekeeper said:


> During a study in New Zealand researchers wanted 100 jars with 200 bee in each jars and they wanted samples with good varroa populations. The researchers caught and counted individual bees and made sure that 2 or 3 of the bees in each sample had visible varroa riding on them. They saw only 2 or 3 bees with visible varroa, but when the jars were checked for varroa counts each jar had from 100 to 150 mites in them. If you start seeing varroa on the adult bees you have a very large population.


great. the freaking scientists studying them can't find them. here I was worried bees would be the actual hard part


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## AR Beekeeper (Sep 25, 2008)

They can find them, they just stopped looking for individual mites and started using mite drop counts or washes of 300 bee samples brushed or scooped from the brood areas in the hive. If you search the USDA website there is good info on diseases and parasites.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

It is tedious work! you have to segregate the bees you clean the mites off or they go and get lousy again. It is tricky turning them over too to check the bottom side; that is where most of the little suckers latch on. Perhaps have the bees walk over a mirror so you can get a glimpse at the underwear without having to flip them. Gloves are too clumsy and bare fingers soon get swollen and clumsy too. Bad business deticking bees one at a time!


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## Beregondo (Jun 21, 2011)

AR Beekeeper said:


> If you start seeing varroa on the adult bees you have a very large population.


Unless, of course one of only three phoretic mites in the hive just happened to be on that one bee under your nose.

The only way to be sure is to do a mite count.

The quickest, least messy way to do that is an alcohol wash.
Here is a like to an article explain they why and how of alcohol washes:

http://scientificbeekeeping.com/tag/alcohol-wash/

Have fun.
Enjoy your bees.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

A while ago I made a post about picking the mites off with a sharp razor blade. My thinking was
the same as yours to go as natural as possible.
Cannot find the post here anymore. It was quite a learning experience for me in doing so.
I learn that the hatched mites can run up to 25 mph on the comb. It is not hard to pick
up the bee by its wings to flip it and see the mites under its abdomen. Make sure to sit comfortably so your
back does not hurt the next day. Really it is quite time
consuming and the progress is slow because in a large hive with 80-90% infestation there are too
many mites to pick. Luckily mine was just a small 5 frame nuc hive. Right now to go as natural as
possible I installed a stationary on demand OAV set up under the hive to take care of the mites. After 3
consecutive cycles of treatment they are all gone now. I wish I would not kill them all off to experiment more
on them. The nuc hive grow into 2 deeps now and the bees are as healthy as ever.


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## kaizen (Mar 20, 2015)

beepro said:


> A while ago I made a post about picking the mites off with a sharp razor blade. My thinking was
> the same as yours to go as natural as possible.
> Cannot find the post here anymore. It was quite a learning experience for me in doing so.
> I learn that the hatched mites can run up to 25 mph on the comb. It is not hard to pick
> ...


see great minds think alike!! I wouldn't attempt to comb through the hive but more like if I was looking at a frame and saw a bee with one the sacrifice of that bee would be worth it. i'll see how it goes.


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## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

seems like a difficult task to remove a mite without getting stung which kills the bee. what is worse a sick bee or a dead one.?


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

kaizen said:


> funny. my theory is sound though right? wouldn't it make sense to eliminate the infected bee? and doing so would reduce the mites later in the hive?


One mite does not turn into 100 mites. There are more effective ways to deal with mites.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

kaizen said:


> see great minds think alike!!


 You sure you want to jump into that pool, kaizen? Even if you were being sarcastic.


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## kaizen (Mar 20, 2015)

sqkcrk said:


> You sure you want to jump into that pool, kaizen? Even if you were being sarcastic.


not sarcastic. I'm being serious. you guys are missing my point. just saying if you see one can it physically be removed like a tick on a dog. guess the answer is no which leads me to plan two which is to kill the bee and mite IF I see one. It would be great if I didn't need any treatments but I know I will. come on in the waters great!


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Here is that earlier post _Beepro _made regarding culling mites with a razor: 



beepro said:


> Spent 1/3 of the day picking out mites with a small razor blade when there was nothing to do.
> This is as natural as can bee. Of course, the other option is to OAV them. Picking them out gave me an idea of how many mites
> are in there for the treatment or not. I got the gentle type bees, remember? So how to improve on this picking out mites method?



(click the blue arrow in the quote box to read the rest of that thread)


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## fieldsofnaturalhoney (Feb 29, 2012)

kaizen said:


> Can I physically pick the mite off the bee? If not should that bee be killed?


You could, but may have to quit your day job depending on how many hives you have Don't kill the bees, depending on your mite levels you may not have any bees left


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Actually the answer is a Yes!
I have done it. A small sharp razor blade is easy to handle.
You just pick the bee off the comb by its wings and slide the blade under the mite to pick
it up. Then cut the mite into half using the blade. I cut the mites in half on my
hand while wearing the nitrile gloves. Just press the blade against the glove to cut it. Or you
can cut it on the hive box edge. The bee cannot sting you when you align its body straight by holding its wings away
from your fingers. It is when you let the stinger to touch your fingers that it can sting you.
The bees will be fine after you release it back on the comb. After you kill the mites the bee will continue to live. 
You don't have to kill the bee with the mites when you find one.


It can be done!


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