I knew it wasn't right. It didn't feel right. It didn't look right. But I left it as it was and posted questions and photos to the Brattleboro Beekeepers Group on Facebook. It wasn't long before someone said that it looked upside down. And darned if that wasn't the issue. I still can't believe I didn't see that at the time because now it's so obvious. They were a great help. If you're a beekeeper, happen to be reading this post, and aren't in a group, join one. You'll find a great sharing of issues and ideas.
So I flipped over the SBB and now the entrance reducer was in a position I recognize. I left open the upper entrance (the circle one). They seem to like that.
Today I pulled out the sticky board to check for Varroa mites. So you get the count, when you're asked, you leave sticky board in the hive for three days and then you take it out and look for and count the mites you find in the rest of the debris on the board. I used some paper taped together to the size needed to cover the board that fits at the bottom of the hive. Then I sprayed with cooking oil...maybe I discussed this already. I may spray heavier next time. It didn't seem sticky enough.
But the count was 6 divided by 3 (the three days)=2 So my mite count today is 2.
I need to investigate how often I need to do this. I would think about every few weeks.
So I don't need to treat them yet. I think that if the count is eleven or more, it's ready to treat. I also need to double check that fact.
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