Using icing sugar to control mites on bees?

Sumi

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I just saw this on TV and was wondering if any of you beekeepers have heard of, or tried this?

Basically what they did (on TV) was take the frame covered in bees from the hive, then gently dusted the bees and frame with a light coating of icing sugar. The bees after a short while started cleaning themselves and each other and apparently the consistency of the icing sugar makes it very difficult for the mites (if present) to keep their grip on the bees and they then fall off?

I am intrigued….
 

babsbag

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I have dusted hives with the sugar. 8 years ago when I first got my bees I was told that the sugar dusting would be enough of a treatment for mites; I am pretty sure that that is not the general consensus any longer. I think that it certainly doesn't hurt, and might even be a good treatment during high brood time when you can't use chemicals, but it isn't the end all that they has hoped it would be.

Part of the problem is that the mites are on the brood too and the sugar won't dislodge them from those developing bees, it will only work on adult bees.
 

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