# Blowing Powdered Sugar into the Hive as Mite Control...?



## AshleyHoneyBee (Apr 24, 2012)

Has anyone here ever heard of a technique where one inserts a device into the hive entrance and then uses it to puff a large quantity of powdered sugar into the hive and all over the bees? Apparently the logic is that this will induce mass grooming, which will also result in mite removal as a by-product. 

If you've heard of this or tried it, does it actually work? :s

My partner in research (and crime) stopped at a bee supply store on his way through the mountains to buy a few things for me where he saw this tool and had its purpose described to him, so I did not witness this first hand.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Try a search on here for "powdered sugar". It has been discussed thousands of times...


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## AshleyHoneyBee (Apr 24, 2012)

Sorry. In that case, I will go acquaint myself with the search function. >_< 

I guess I assumed I wouldn't be able to find anything since I don't know the name of the technique or tool, and "powdered sugar" doesn't seem like it would yield particularly good results.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

If you search from here:
http://www.beesource.com/
You will get the kind of results as you would expect from Google. In other words "powdered sugar" together will get preference over only one or the other of the two words. I think you will find the results very useful as that is really the only use for "powdered sugar" in beekeeping other than a small scale version of the same to do mite counts. If you actually put it in quotes you will ONLY get the ones where it is together and there are 2,760 discussions.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Ashley, Michael's advice about the search function on the Beesource _home page_ is correct. Note that there is also a search box on each forum page and that one does _not_ function the same way.

If you visit other sites that do not offer a similarly effective internal search, you can use Google, but limit the search to a single site. To replicate that using Beesource as an example, type in Google's search box:
_powdered sugar site:beesource.com_
The "site:" term limits the results to the domain that is specified after the colon. This is very effective tool. Sometimes I find that it even finds pages that are supposed to be hidden behind "pay for access" windows.

For more in-depth info on powered sugar dusting, try this link:
http://scientificbeekeeping.com/pow...weet-and-safe-but-does-it-really-work-part-1/


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## AshleyHoneyBee (Apr 24, 2012)

I'm sorry, I feel compelled to further explain. Powdered sugar in beekeeping is not limited in use to this particular technique (which I am STILL not sure of the name of after searching the forums, perhaps it's called sugaring?). As I am aware of other (presumably more common) uses, and I had never heard of this technique before, asking about it seemed more productive that sifting through thousands of results on powdered sugar that may or may not actually pertain to the technique I was expressing interest in. I am actually well acquainted with Google site search, but it did not seem the most prudent path for the same reason. I apologize again, as I did not mean to offend the community with my naivete.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Ashley, did you even _look_ at the link I provided above? :scratch:

From that site:








_A Scirocco sugar duster from Italy. The dust is blasted into the entrance of the hive until it blows out from the propped-up hive cover. Photo courtesy Dr. Joe Carson, who is enthusiastic about these dusters.
_http://scientificbeekeeping.com/pow...weet-and-safe-but-does-it-really-work-part-1/
Isn't this what your thread title refers to??


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## Gibbus (Apr 22, 2009)

Yes - three or four years ago my son picked one up. It's like a hand bellow for powder. Personally, it's not worth the money - just use a flour sifter over the frames and brush the excess down.
It does work (in _my_ experiences), as per mite counts, but you have do do it once a week for three weeks, spaced apart every couple months. Not time efficient past five or six hives, though.
Good luck


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## throrope (Dec 18, 2008)

AshleyHoneyBee said:


> Sorry. In that case, I will go acquaint myself with the search function. >_<
> 
> I guess I assumed I wouldn't be able to find anything since I don't know the name of the technique or tool, and "powdered sugar" doesn't seem like it would yield particularly good results.


Here is a good place to get info without sifting though threads.

https://agdev.anr.udel.edu/maarec/

While I don't agree with everything there or here, I suspect it will help narrow your search moving forward.


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## AshleyHoneyBee (Apr 24, 2012)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> Ashley, did you even _look_ at the link I provided above? :scratch:
> 
> You are correct, I missed the link. In my haste I believe I thought it was part of your signature.
> 
> I appreciate the info link, I really do! I let my frustration get the best of me this time. I'm going to go hide now until the embarrassment wears off.


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

I had one, & thought it was a piece of junk.


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## AshleyHoneyBee (Apr 24, 2012)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> For more in-depth info on powered sugar dusting, try this link:
> http://scientificbeekeeping.com/pow...weet-and-safe-but-does-it-really-work-part-1/


I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Dr. Oliver's work (I'm actually a biologist as well), and I think I would like to try dusting my new package (my only personal colony) with sugar dust (not powdered sugar) before they get any capped brood going. 

I just have to figure out the bits about sticky boards and dry boards, I'm not sure I have the necessary woodenware. :/


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Powdered sugar in beekeeping is not limited in use to this particular technique (which I am STILL not sure of the name of after searching the forums, perhaps it's called sugaring?). As I am aware of other (presumably more common) uses

I can't think of any other uses in beekeeping. You shouldn't feed it. What other uses are you aware of for powdered sugar in beekeeping? Granted people apply the powdered sugar in various ways from sifting, dumping and blowing, but all of these are done to dislodge Varroa.


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## AshleyHoneyBee (Apr 24, 2012)

It's probably a good thing I'm here then, because my lab feeds powdered sugar to our bees. Yes, the terrible American variety with cut with cornstarch. The most common thing we've done is to knead powdered sugar into store-bought honey (I've recently heard that store-bought honey should never be fed to bees either, due to AFB...) to feed to small quantities of bees that we've collected in the field when we need to keep them alive indoors. We call it "bee-candy".


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Baker's sugar is fine sugar and is much better for the uses you are putting powdered sugar to as it contains no starch. Drivert is also fine and has more invert sugar in it which seems more attractive to the bees as feed. If you can't find the Baker's sugar small quantities can be made in a blender with regular refined sugar.


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