Skip to content

Varroa sugar roll test

A non-lethal field method for detecting Varroa destructor in a honey bee colony. The bees are coated in powdered sugar inside a jar, mites detach, and are washed off into water for counting. Bees are returned to the colony alive.

Choose a warm, dry day

If possible, perform the procedure on a warm, dry day. Humid or rainy weather reduces the method's efficiency — the sugar absorbs moisture and clumps, making it harder to dislodge mites.

Materials

  • Shallow plastic tray for collecting bees
  • Flat dish (~1 cm of water inside)
  • Either a glass jar (~720 mL) with a screw-on lid fitted with a ~3 mm mesh, or a Varroa EasyCheck device
  • Tablespoon
  • Powdered sugar
  • Dry cloth

Sample collection and testing procedure

1. Collect ~300 bees

  1. Shake bees from 3–5 brood frames into a shallow plastic tray and gently mix them.

  2. Collect ~300 bees (approximately 85 mL of bees, ~half a cup) from the tray into the jar (or Varroa EasyCheck).

    Do not collect the queen

    Be careful not to scoop up the queen with the sample.

  3. Close the jar securely with the mesh lid.

2. First sugar coating

  1. Add 1 rounded tablespoon of powdered sugar to the jar by rubbing it through the mesh.
  2. Roll the jar for ~1 min to coat the bees evenly.
  3. Leave the jar still for max 30 seconds.

3. First mite wash-off

  1. Fill a flat dish with water to a depth of approximately 1 cm.

  2. Shake the jar over the water tray vigorously for 15 seconds. Invert the closed jar/device and perform vigorous shaking motions above the water, similar to using a salt shaker.

    The powdered sugar dissolves in the water and stops obscuring the mites.

4. Second cycle (repeat)

Repeat the procedure with the same bee sample:

  1. Add 1 rounded tablespoon of powdered sugar to the jar.
  2. Roll the jar for ~1 min.
  3. Leave the jar still for max 30 seconds.
  4. Shake over the water tray vigorously for 15 seconds.

5. Count and record

  1. Count the mites in the water tray.
  2. Take a picture of the whole tray.
  3. Record the number in the Apisense app and upload the photo.
  4. Carefully return the bees to their colony.
  5. Clean the jar/device of remaining sugar/mites/dust/moisture with a dry cloth before next use.

Reporting in the Apisense app

  • Total mite count (sum from both cycles)
  • Photo of the water tray with mites
  • Sample size (300 bees by default)
  • Date of the test

Same test in the seasonal program

This test is also part of the "Honey bee colony health, Spring 2026" program — see Protocol 1: Varroa monitoring for the exact app reporting paths (add → test → flotation) and sample shipping context.

References

  1. Rinderer TE, De Guzman LI, Sylvester HA. Reexamination of the accuracy of a detergent solution for varroa mite detection. American Bee Journal. 2004;144(7):560–562.
  2. Branco MR, Kidd NA, Pickard RS. A comparative evaluation of sampling methods for Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) population estimation. Apidologie. 2006;37(4):452.
  3. Dietemann V, et al. Standard methods for varroa research. J Apic Res. 2013;52(1):1–47. doi:10.3896/IBRA.1.52.1.09
  4. Taylor MA, Goodwin RM, McBrydie HM, et al. Relative effectiveness of methods that sample worker honey bees to estimate Varroa destructor populations in Apis mellifera colonies. Apidologie. 2025;56(14). doi:10.1007/s13592-024-01143-y