Dr. Spivak from the University of Minnesota outlined a method to count mites. She takes a 1 quart canning jar and scoop 1/2 cup of bees from the ones on the frames with brood. BE CAREFUL NOT TO GET THE QUEEN. A light thunk will settle them down so you can tell when you have 1/2 cup Then a cap with a screen is put on the bees.
Mite Jar
Two tablespoons (or a hive tool scoop) of confectioner’s sugar is dropped thru the top. You gently shake and roll aroud the jar until the bees are coated with the sugar. Ths will cause the mites to lose their hold on the bees. By inverting the jar over a white bowl and some gentle shakes, the sugar and the mites will go thru the screen and can be counted in the bowl.
A half cup is about 300 bees. If you count 10 mites (for example), you take the count and multiply by 1.3 – giving 13 in this case. The 1.3 factor accounts for the mites on the brood. Since 13 is for 300 bees, you divide by 3 to get 4.3 bees per 100 or 4.3% This is probably acceptable. If the count gets up around 10%, treatment is called for. Keeping track of the trends as they increase during the summer will give you an idea of how things are going. No ones knows the exact limits for treatments – but trends are important.
The bees can be released back into the hive and they will get cleaned off without harm.
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