Alcohol wash consists of immersing a sample of bees into alcohol and then gently shaking the EasyCheck to detach the phoretic mites so they can be counted.

Advantages: fast and easy, it is recognised as the most accurate, reliable and economical option for beekeepers.

How many honey bees must be placed into the Varroa EasyCheck?

There are two lines on the white basket of the Varroa EasyCheck. The lower line corresponds to about 200 bees and the upper line corresponds to 300 bees.

We advise you to take 300 bees to obtain the most accurate results possible. In the case of weaker colonies, you can reduce this number to 200 bees.

You will obtain your infestation percentage by dividing the number of varroa found by 2 (if 200 bees) or 3 (if 300 bees). For example, if you find 5 varroa mites with 300 bees, you have an infestation percentage of 5/3 = 1.66%.