As we all know by now, monitoring Varroa mite levels is crucial for maintaining healthy bee colonies.

If you want an easy and effective way to check the infestation rate within your hives, consider gently uncapping some drone brood to get an accurate count of mites.

Why Drone Brood?

Drone brood is often the preferred place for Varroa mites to reproduce.

Drones take longer to develop compared to worker bees, giving mites more time to grow and multiply.

By uncapping drone cells, you can assess how severe the infestation is and determine whether your hives need immediate treatment.

Steps to Check Mite Infestation

1. Identify Drone Cells: Look for cells that are larger and have domed caps.

2. Gently Uncap the Brood: Using an uncapping fork or a similar tool, gently remove the wax capping to expose the developing drone and try to take out the drone entirely.

3. Count the Mites: Examine the brood and count the number of Varroa mites present. This will give you a good indication of the infestation level within your hive.

Benefits of This Method

Quick and Direct: This method gives you a direct look at the infestation without needing special equipment and it’s safe for you and for your hive.

Usually, other methods imply harming some of your bees, a fact which I can’t be ok with.

When to Perform the Check

The best time to perform this check is during the brood-rearing season when there is plenty of drone brood available.

Regular checks can help you stay on top of the infestation rate and decide when treatment is necessary.

Keep in mind that you’ll most likely always find some varroa mites inside your brood cells.

Try to carefully control them and if you deem it necessary immediately start to treat your hives.