Protocol 1 — Varroa destructor monitoring (mandatory)

Two steps: live sugar-roll flotation, and monitoring mite drop on a sticky board.

STEP 1 — sugar-roll flotation

Materials

• A Varroa EasyCheck device, or a homemade container:
  • glass jar of 500–720 mL, fitted with a lid with ~3 mm mesh
  • alternatively, instead of mesh — a doubly folded queen excluder placed in the lid, with the slots of both layers crossed perpendicular to each other
• Tablespoon
• Powdered sugar
• Flat dish (tray, baking sheet, plate) filled with water to a depth of ~1 cm
• Dry cloth

Fig. 1: Example homemade flotation container — glass jar with ~3 mm mesh in the lid

Procedure

1. Add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar to the container.

2. Collect 300 live bees from brood-nest frames (~85 mL of bees = half a cup). The easiest way is to hold the container against the comb and brush the bees in directly with disposable-gloved fingers, sweeping gently over the comb surface, or with a brush.

   Do not collect the queen

   Be careful not to scoop the queen with the sample.

Fig. 2: Collecting 300 bees from a brood-nest frame with a brush (disposable gloves)

1. Close the container with the mesh lid.
2. Roll and gently shake the container for 1 minute so the bees are fully coated with sugar.
3. Let it sit for max 30 seconds.
4. Prepare a flat dish with water (~1 cm deep).
5. Invert the closed container and shake vigorously over the water, like a salt shaker, for 15 seconds. The powdered sugar dissolves in the water and stops obscuring the mites.

Repeat the cycle

Repeat the procedure a second time with the same bee sample:

1. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar over the bees.
2. Roll and gently shake the container for 1 minute.
3. Let it sit for max 30 seconds.
4. Shake vigorously over the same water for 15 seconds.

Counting and reporting

1. Count the mites in the water and take a clear, good-quality photo.
2. In the Apisense app: add → test → flotation — enter the mite count and attach the photo.
3. Return the bees to the colony.
4. Wash the dish and dry it thoroughly before next use.

STEP 2 — mite drop on a sticky board

Perform this step if the hive has a screened bottom board with a tray.

Materials

• A ready-made adhesive mite-drop insert, or a homemade one made from:
  • a sheet of white smooth paper, a placemat, rigid foil, or a PVC sheet (sized to fit the bottom board — do not use newsprint)
  • coated with edible oil or paraffin

Procedure

1. Ready-made insert: peel off the protective layer.

   Homemade insert: apply edible oil or paraffin.

2. Place the insert in the lower part of the hive, sticky/coated side up, in the tray under the screened bottom board.

3. The insert must lie flat, without lifting, and be clean.
4. Leave the insert in place for 7 days.
5. After 7 days, remove the insert, count the mites, and take one clear, good-quality photo covering the entire surface of the insert.
6. In the Apisense app: add → test → mite drop — enter the mite count and attach the photo.

Detailed flotation procedure

A full description of sugar-roll flotation as a general field procedure (without the seasonal program context) is available in Varroa sugar roll.