Varroa wash, doughnut break, repeat

Mite check, snack break, mite check. The annual rhythm continues.

Apu's brother Sanjay — the one with the apiary behind the Kwik-E-Mart — ran a workshop on alcohol wash technique at the field day last week. The takeaway most folks left with: the wash is only useful if you actually do it on a schedule.

• Threshold: 3 mites per 100 bees in summer is the line where we start talking treatment. Higher in fall, lower in spring.
• Timing: Right after the main honey flow, then again before winter. Mark it on the calendar.
• The snack: Lard Lad doughnuts pair surprisingly well with concentrated alcohol fumes. (Doughnut consumption strictly outside the bee yard.)

If you missed the workshop and want to learn the technique hands-on, the next mentor coffee hour at The Bee's Knees Cafe is the spot to ask.