Varroa Alcohol Wash Test Kit - Mite Count in 60 Seconds

The Most Accurate Varroa Mite Check You Can Do at the Hive

Varroa is in Australia now, and the question for most beekeepers is no longer whether they will see it but how many mites are in the hive today. A colony can look busy at the entrance while mite numbers climb in the brood, and by the time you notice deformed wings the damage is done. Counting is the only way to know, and the alcohol wash is the count state agriculture departments recommend because it is the most accurate test you can run in the apiary.

This kit is a shaker jar built for the job: an outer cup, an inner basket with a mesh floor and a lid that seals tight. Scoop half a cup of bees into the basket, add methylated spirits, shake for a minute, and the mites drop through the mesh into the liquid below where they are easy to count.

Why Alcohol Wash and Not Sugar Shake

A sugar shake keeps the bees alive, but it dislodges fewer mites and the result depends on humidity, how hard you shake and how long you wait. The alcohol wash kills the sample of around 300 bees and in return gives a reliable count every time. For a colony of 40,000 bees that is a small price for an accurate picture.

How to Run the Test

Pull a frame from the middle of the brood nest, make sure the queen is not on it, and shake or brush bees into the basket until you have about half a cup. Cover them with liquid: methylated spirits mixed to about 70 percent with water works well, and so does windscreen washer fluid. Close the lid, shake hard for 60 seconds, lift the basket out and count the mites left behind. Divide by three for mites per 100 bees and note it down with the date and hive number. Your state department publishes the current action levels and reporting requirements.

What It Will Not Do

The wash only counts mites on adult bees. Mites inside capped brood stay hidden, so a low count in a hive full of sealed brood is not a clean bill of health, which is why monthly testing tells you more than any single result. It is a monitoring tool, not a treatment. If the count is high, the next step is a registered miticide or oxalic acid, used as the label directs. The kit ships without liquid, so bring your own methylated spirits or washer fluid, and rinse the jar after each test.

Specifications

• Type: alcohol wash shaker jar for varroa mite monitoring
• Parts: outer cup, inner basket with mesh floor, sealing lid
• Sample size: about 300 bees (half a cup) from a central brood frame
• Test time: 60 seconds of shaking plus a minute to count
• Works with: methylated spirits and water (about 70 percent), windscreen washer fluid, or soapy water
• Reusable: rinse and dry between hives
• Hive types: suits every hive type, since the sample is taken from the frame
• Shipping weight: 0.8kg as listed

How does the alcohol wash test work?

Put about half a cup of bees in the basket, add liquid, shake for 60 seconds and lift the basket out. Mites drop through the mesh and are counted in the liquid below.

How many bees do I need for a sample?

About half a cup, roughly 300 bees, taken from a frame in the middle of the brood nest with the queen not on it.

What liquid should I use?

Methylated spirits mixed to about 70 percent with water works well, as does windscreen washer fluid. Soapy water also works. Liquid is not included.

How do I work out mites per 100 bees?

With a sample of about 300 bees, divide the number of mites counted by three.

Why use alcohol wash instead of sugar shake?

A sugar shake keeps the bees alive but dislodges fewer mites and varies with humidity and technique. The alcohol wash gives a reliable count every time.

Does the test kill the bees in the sample?

Yes. The sample of around 300 bees is killed, which is a small number for a colony of about 40,000.

Will it find mites in capped brood?

No. It only counts mites on adult bees, so a low count in a hive full of sealed brood is not a clean bill of health. Monthly testing tells you more.

Is it a treatment for varroa?

No, it is a monitoring tool. If the count is high, the next step is a registered miticide or oxalic acid, used as the label directs.

Is the kit reusable?

Yes. Rinse and dry the jar between hives so nothing carries over to the next test.

Does it suit every hive type?

Yes. The sample is taken from the frame, so the kit suits every hive type.