Mite count on drone brood
When inspecting hives we should be looking for mites on drone larvae. What would be considered a proper sample size and a mite count that would trigger treating?
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Arnie,
I have wondered about the same question. A number of resources state >3-5% using the traditional powder sugar/alcohol roll test, but with drones it is a whole different situation.
According to a reference that references Randy Oliver, Varroa are three times more successful to reproduce in drone brood compared to worker brood. Why? This is due to the fat bodies of the drones as well as the longer post capping period of drone brood. in fact, the following article states that female varroa mites prefer drone brood 10 to 1 over worker brood. How did they determine this? Was a survey? A "Pepsi vs. Coke" taste test? They state "at 5% drone brood, as many mites are emerging from 50-60 drone cells as from 1000 worker cells. So if you test/cull 20 drone pupae and you find multiple mites, then treatment should be in your future. The following webpage has more information, as well as a good video of a varroa mite load check.
https://www.afuturewithbees.com/resources/protect-your-bees/85-varroa-mite-load-check-using-drone-brood