Sticky monitoring boards are diagnostic tools used to assess the severity of parasite infestations within a honeybee colony. Placed at the base of the hive, these adhesive sheets trap Varroa mites that fall naturally from bees or are dislodged during grooming, preventing them from climbing back up or being removed by worker bees.
Sticky boards serve as a standardized, non-destructive method to convert natural parasite fall into actionable data. By calculating the "average daily mite drop," beekeepers can determine the intensity of an infestation without harming the bees.
The Mechanics of Passive Monitoring
Capturing Natural Parasite Fall
Bees are constantly grooming, and parasites like Varroa mites occasionally lose their grip or die naturally.
Gravity pulls these parasites to the bottom of the hive. The sticky board acts as a passive trap, securing these fallen mites so they can be counted.
Preventing Re-infestation
Without a sticky surface, a fallen live mite could simply climb back onto a passing bee.
The adhesive surface immobilizes the parasite immediately upon contact. This ensures that the mite is permanently removed from the colony's population and prevents it from re-attaching to a host.
Securing the Sample
Worker bees are hygienic and will attempt to clean debris, including dead mites, from the hive floor.
The sticky board prevents this "housekeeping" behavior from skewing your data. By gluing the mites in place, the board ensures they remain available for the beekeeper to count, rather than being carried out of the hive by the bees.
Quantifying Infestation Levels
Creating a Standardized Metric
Subjective observation is rarely accurate in beekeeping. Sticky boards provide a quantitative assessment of the colony's health.
By providing a fixed surface area for collection, the board allows for consistent sampling over time. This standardization is essential for comparing infestation rates between different hives or across different seasons.
Calculating Average Daily Drop
A single point in time offers limited insight. The standard practice involves leaving the board in place for a set duration, often 72 hours.
The beekeeper counts the total mites and divides by the number of days. This calculation yields the "average daily mite drop," a critical number used to decide if the infestation has reached a threshold requiring chemical treatment.
Understanding the Trade-offs
Monitoring is Not Treatment
It is a common misconception that sticky boards alone control parasites.
While they do trap fallen mites, they do not kill the parasites attached to the bees. They are strictly a monitoring device to guide decision-making, not a method of population control.
The Need for Consistency
Passive monitoring relies on the natural drop rate, which varies.
Because mites fall irregularly, leaving the board in for too short a time (less than 24 hours) may result in inaccurate low counts. Adhering to the recommended sampling window (e.g., 72 hours) is vital for data reliability.
Strategies for Hive Management
To use sticky boards effectively, match your usage to your management goals:
- If your primary focus is determining treatment thresholds: Calculate the average daily mite drop over 72 hours to see if the infestation exceeds the safe limit for your region.
- If your primary focus is colony safety: Use sticky boards as your primary diagnostic tool because they provide data without killing bees or disrupting the queen.
- If your primary focus is verifying treatment success: Insert a board during or after a chemical treatment to visualize the "mite drop" and confirm the treatment is working.
Accurate data is the difference between guessing at hive health and actively managing it.
Summary Table:
| Feature | Purpose & Benefit |
|---|---|
| Passive Collection | Traps mites falling naturally from bees via gravity without harming the colony. |
| Adhesive Surface | Prevents live mites from re-climbing and stops worker bees from removing data samples. |
| Metric Calculation | Enables the calculation of 'average daily mite drop' to determine treatment thresholds. |
| Safe Diagnosis | Provides a non-destructive, chemical-free monitoring method compared to alcohol washes. |
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References
- Svetlana Bacal. New contributions to the knowledge of honey bee (Apis Mellifera) pests. DOI: 10.53937/icz10.2021.24
This article is also based on technical information from HonestBee Knowledge Base .
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