# Varroa in observation hives



## WindowBee (8 mo ago)

Hi everyone,
I would like to ask , do you have problems with this mite in observation beehives? ( I am talking about totally flat hives, where space between glass sheets is *38/39mm* and hives keep *year-round at home*).
I keep bees many( over 30) years in such beehives and I have notice (always) reduction of the mite population to zero or not detectable level even if settled bee colony was infested by the mite in the beginning.
I know that reduction of the comb cell size can shorten the bee development time which becomes to short for Varroa female.
Drones production in my hives are reduced a lot in compare to the standard hive.
The queen brooding all the time the same cells so they getting darker quickly and smaller too.

Has anyone similar observation results?

Hope some has..

Christopher


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## johno (Dec 4, 2011)

Nope, I watched the mite growth until I could see bees on the glass with mites feeding on their bellies at which time I started OAV treatments and continued with them until all the mites were gone.


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## WindowBee (8 mo ago)

1)What size had distance between the glases?
2)Had you keept the bees at home all the time?
3)How many generation of bees(time period) had you watched mite population growth?

Sorry for that questions but this are very importent for me. Specially if you are rather advanced beekeeper. I couldn’t find any scientific research with large probe… more saying i could’t find any.
Christopher


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## johno (Dec 4, 2011)

This observation hive had 6 medium frames, so 2 wide and 3 deep. I ran a colony there for about 3 or 4 years allowing them to swarm each spring and re queen themselves, eventually the last young queen filled the frames with brood and when they all emerged, they absconded. The distance between the glass is about 75mm or 3". I am also a relatively inexperienced beekeeper as I have only been keeping bees for about 12 years or so. There have also been some scientific studies that have shown that small cells make no difference in mite infestations. The reason I left them alone with their mites was I wanted to see mites feeding under the belly scales of bees, which you never see in normal hives as bees on comb always have their back to the beekeeper but not when they are sleeping on the glass walls of an observation hive.


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## WindowBee (8 mo ago)

Thank you for quick replay.
12 years might be a lot of time for learning and bee keeping. The all clue is in quality of time spent with the bees and knowledge, I guess... For example my all years of bee keeping was spent only with observational beehives so my knowledge is different than those people who's rear the bees in conventional way. It might not be exactly different but wider in some aspect and more narrow in other.
My suspicion about Varroa might be improper because of small probe and statistically irrelevant, just a few dozen cases. I have to find some source of research with smaller cell (4,9mm vs 5.4) as you had said. I had heard about it but never force my self to find it and read.
Coming back to your replay: The hive you had was wider than my 75 vs 38/39mm. And there was a huge opportunity to rear a lot of drones which are the super host of Varroa mites.
Maybe someone else had experience with flatter hives for prolonged period of time?


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## WindowBee (8 mo ago)

I have found this: small cells, research n= +- 2500 colonies statistically, relevant.

But there are also articles showing that small cells have no impact to the mite population. Any way all this research have a short period of observation and in conventional bee hives where drones are rearing in large number…Drones are super host for Varroa mites. But please do not transfer this idea(no treating) to conventional hives. Mites are dangerous....


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