Pests & Disease

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Just realised my hive tool has touched every colony I own — what's your hygiene routine between apiaries?

Six years in and I'm a bit ashamed to admit this: I run two apiaries about 12 km apart here in Flanders, and my hive tool and gloves have been to every single colony with…

BuckfastLinda · Flanders, BE · Pests & Disease · Jun 29, 2026 · ▲ 13 · 💬 3

Sugar roll says 2, alcohol wash says 6 per 300 — which number do I make decisions with?

Second year, three hives in Vermont. I did mite checks on all three this weekend and on my strongest colony I ran both methods back to back out of curiosity, separate hal…

VTBeeHannah · Vermont, US · Pests & Disease · Jun 23, 2026 · ▲ 18 · 💬 3 · ✅ Solved

Solstice PSA: your bee population peaks this week — your mite population peaks in two months. Mind the crossing curves

Happy solstice, Northern colleagues. A teaching moment I give every mentee on this exact week: today your colonies are at or near their annual population peak — 40-50,000…

ImkerinLena · Bavaria, DE · Pests & Disease · Jun 21, 2026 · ▲ 28 · 💬 4

Chalkbrood mummies in the swarm I hived two weeks ago — is the colony doomed?

Hived a decent prime swarm two weeks back, my second season and first swarm, west of Ireland so it's been damp and cool as usual. Yesterday I found maybe a dozen white ch…

GalwayBees · Galway, IE · Pests & Disease · Jun 16, 2026 · ▲ 9 · 💬 3 · ✅ Solved

Green drone frames for varroa — is the freeze cycle really every 21 days? My math isn't mathing

Second year in Vermont, trying to do varroa IPM properly instead of just reacting in August like last season. I put a green drone frame in each of my three hives at the e…

VTBeeHannah · Vermont, US · Pests & Disease · Jun 12, 2026 · ▲ 22 · 💬 4 · ✅ Solved

Mite wash came back at 9 per 300 — treat now or wait for the flow to end?

Did an alcohol wash this morning on my strongest hive and counted 9 mites. Main nectar flow has maybe 2 weeks left. Do I pull supers and treat with formic now, or risk th…

MayaBees · Oregon, US · Pests & Disease · Jun 3, 2026 · ▲ 47 · 💬 4 · ✅ Solved

Small hive beetles spotted — eradicate or manage?

First time I've seen SHB in this apiary. Two adults running across the top bars. Strong hive, double deep + super. Is eradication realistic in Mediterranean climate or am…

muglabalci · Muğla, TR · Pests & Disease · Jun 3, 2026 · ▲ 21 · 💬 3

Found chalkbrood mummies on the landing board — what now?

Five or six little white mummies on the landing board this morning, looks like classic chalkbrood. Hive is otherwise active, bringing in pollen, queen laying. Do I just m…

YorkshireNewbee · Yorkshire, UK · Pests & Disease · Jun 2, 2026 · ▲ 17 · 💬 3 · ✅ Solved
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