Scottish tracheal mite survey - Bees needed !

[emcampbell]

Hey Marion. I have to say mine were pretty much goners after about tens mins in the freezer - I might try reducing that time to five mins. Althought it was easy to get them into the sample liquid after the freezer. Whats your address Marion ? PM me.

[marion.orca]

I added 2 or 3 at once, gave it a good shake, and carried on like that until all 30 were submerged.

[Eddie]

Hey, got my kit to take the samples which I will do, as soon as this rain stops and the sun shines for about 10 minutes..

[gavin]

Took the second sample in the easterly gale at lunchtime and gave them 30 min to cool down this time. Three were still buzzing about in the box (and were the spares shaken out near the apiary on my way back to work). Well on their way to Aberdeen by now.

[Trog]

My sample was dead after 15 mins in the freezer and the spare 5 didn't revive in the kitchen. Should be there by now - just as well they left the island yesterday!

[EmsE]

I'm not too sure what type of bee I have- they've been on the freezer for 20 min and still too active to get them into the tube. We've got 4 in already and about the same number now flying about the room. Must be that kilbarchan vigour

[EmsE]

All in now, after 25 min in the freezer, but those that went in looking dead started moving around again in the liquid so will drown a few left in the freezer that will be heading for under the microscope at some point?

[nemphlar]

15 mins in the freezer did for mine,no sign when stuffing them in the tube. I'd be checking the operating temperature of my freezer

[emcampbell]

Hi again everyone,
I have had a great response with the odd enquiry still coming in. I have sent out about 60+ sampling tubes with very good responses from some areas and patchy to none in others. It would be really good to get as large a coverage as possible so if anyone from Fife, Angus, Lothian, Lanarkshire and anywhere between Moffat east to Stranraer would still like to get involved then that would be a big help (and elsewhere!). Any hive is a usefull sample - no need to have suspected tracheal mite or anything else !
Cheers
Ewan

[gavin]

I'll be introducing the SBA touring speaker - Richard Ball - at our meeting in Dundee on Friday. I'll remind the audience and encourage some more to send you samples.