If you missed last night’s meeting, I demonstrated doing a no kill mite sample using CO2 gas to anesthetize the bees and mites. You then shake the bees to dislodge the mites and shake mites out through a screened lid. The bees are returned to the hive where they wake up and continue their work.
This seemed to work but will need to be tested and compared with results of an alcohol wash to see if results are comparable.
The CO2 cartridges are 5 for $10 or $2 each on Amazon. I don’t know how many hives you can sample per cylinder but the gas will quickly leak out even with the valve closed.
Kits are available from the bee supply places but you can find the valves, cylinders and inflation needles on Amazon. They are used as bike tire inflators and dispensers for liquids like beer.
The alcohol wash is still the gold standard for mite sampling. It’s cheap, easy and produces accurate results. The only downside is that you kill the sample of bees.
The important takeaway is to check for mites regularly no matter what method used and treat if needed.
I was there and this was so intriguing! Thank you for the additional info and explanation today, as well!