The ‘Gizmo’ is a device developed at the University of Minnesota to aid in the collection of 300 adult honey bees for varroa mite sampling.
Sampling honey bee colonies for Varroa destructor is an extremely important tool for gaining control of Varroa mites.
Why SAMPLE in a standard way?
- Be informed: know thy enemy!
- Decrease use of miticides!
- Reduce chemical residues in hive!
- Save time and money!
- Develop regional treatment thresholds!
- Breed queens from colonies with low mites!
The following documents provide easy instructions and an explanation of a standardized sampling routine large and small scale beekeepers can implement. A general mite density can be determined at the apiary level or hive level for use in treatment decisions or research.
- University of Minnesota summary of Methods for Varroa Sampling.
- American Bee Journal Article: Standardized Sampling Plan to Detect Varroa Density in Colonies and Apiaries
- Research based explanation of why it works Practical Sampling Plans for Varroa destructor in Apis mellifera Colonies and Apiaries.
The above resources come from the University of Minnesota bee lab.