Varroa Mite Counting Board for Monitoring Mite Drop or Closing Off Screened Bottom Board (4-Pack) (8-Frame)($44.99Value)

Description

DESIGNED FOR BEEHIVES: These varroa mite boards are thin corrugated boards beekeepers can use to slide under screened bottom boards or over solid bottom boards for counting mites. The thin board can be easily trimmed to fit your bottom board. EASY COUNTING: The colored checkerboard grid on these trays make for couting varroa mites or debris easy so you can easily keep track of your mite count as the colors contrast with the brown mites USE WITH A 24 HOUR DROP: When used as a sticky board, these thin boards should be coated with petroleum jelly to create a sticky surface for mites to fall onto; after 24 hours on the hive the varroa mites can be counted easily CUSTOMIZABLE: These thin corrugated varroa boards can fit any screened bottom board with a slide in slot on the back of the bottom board, but the thin design can be easily trimmed as needed. MULTIPLE USES: These boards can also be used to close off a hive during winter to stop cold air or drafts and during mite treatments that require the beekeeper to close off the hive

Varroa mite boards are also called IPM boards, sticky boards, or slide-in trays, but they can benefit beekeepers and make monitoring for varroa easier. Their job is straightforward: slide into the back of the hive underneath the screen on a screened bottom board. These boards do not keep pest numbers down on their own but are used to measure the number of varroa mites in a colony of bees. 

A natural amount of varroa mites fall off the bees, and if this board is placed under the screened bottom board for 24 hours, the mites that fall onto the board can be counted and used to make a varroa control decision. The checkerboard design contrasts with the brownish-red color of the varroa mite, making it easier to count the mites. 

The numbered grid helps beekeepers stay organized by counting mites on the board. The board can also be slid into the back of the bottom board to reduce drafts during the winter, assisting your bees in controlling the temperature of their cluster during the winter. 

• 10 Frame boards measure 20" x 15.125" x 2mm 
• 8 Frame boards measure 20" x 12 x 2mm