Demonstrating a "sugar roll"

Robert Harvey of Harvey's Honey in Monroeville, NJ, talked about various Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques and demonstrated how to perform a "sugar roll" using powdered confectioner's sugar to determine the mite level in a hive.

A measured sample of bees is put in the jar and dusted with powdered sugar. The sugar is then shaken onto a sticky board or into a pail of water (the sugar dissolves, the mites float) and the mites are counted. The ratio of mites to bees is determined. That level will indicate if treatment is required.

This was just one of five different "hands-on" stations set up by the South Jersey Beekeepers Association (SJBA) when they hosted the NJBA spring meeting on June 6, 2009 at JCC Camps in Medford, NJ.

(Photo by Janet A. Katz)