Editing Varroa destructor (section)

=== Monitoring ===
Beekeepers use several methods for monitoring levels of Varroa mites in a colony.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pollinator.cals.cornell.edu/sites/pollinator.cals.cornell.edu/files/shared/documents/Varroa-mites-monitoring-info-sheet.pdf|title=Varroa mites: A step-by-step guide to monitoring in New York|website=Pollinator Network at Cornell University|date=11 September 2024 }}</ref> They involve either estimating the total number of mites in a hive by using a sticky board under a screen bottom board to capture mites falling from the hive or estimating the number of mites per bee with powdered sugar or an ethanol wash.<ref name="Jack2021"/>

Monitoring for mites with a sticky board can be used to estimate the total number of mites in a colony over 72 hours using the equation:

:<math>p(c)=\frac{3.76-b}{-0.01}</math>

where ''b'' is the number of mites found on the sticky board and ''c'' is the number of estimated mites in the colony. However, the bee population in a colony also needs to be known to determine what population of mites is tolerable with this method.<ref name="Jack2021"/>

Mite counts from a known quantity of bees (i.e., 300 bees) collected from [[brood comb]] are instead often used to determine mite severity. Mites are dislodged from a sample of bees using non-lethal or lethal means. The bees are shaken in a container of either powdered sugar, alcohol, or soapy water to dislodge and count mites. Powdered sugar is generally considered non-lethal to honey bees, but lethal methods such as alcohol can be more effective at dislodging mites.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pollinators.msu.edu/resources/beekeepers/varroa-mite-monitoring1/varroa-mite-monitoring/|title=Varroa Mite Monitoring: Using a Sugar Roll to Quantify Infestation of ''Varroa destructor'' in Honey Bee Colonies|last=Milbrath|first=Meghan|date=January 2018|website=Michigan Pollinator Initiative, Michigan State University}}</ref><ref name="Jack2021"/> 3% of the colony being infested is considered an [[economic threshold]] damaging enough to warrant further management such as miticides, though beekeepers may use other management tactics in the 0{{endash}}2% infestation range to keep mite populations low.<ref name="Jack2021"/>