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I can't remember why i looked at the web site before, but I had seen it. The video shows that the spikes are rubbed against. I can't see any evidence that it's more than an attempt to investigate or remove an annoying spike. There's nothing that suggests any activity is associated with varroa other than a few graphs of low counts that could be for any reason.

Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't but the effort so far appears to be producing new versions of the same design (mark 11 is mentioned) rather than trying to measure any effect it might have.

The request for trials makes no mention of any control in the studies. A simple test would be a "half and half" version. One side spikes, one side without. Count the varroa drop on a sticky sheet under each side and reverse the position periodically. If the grooming enabled by the spikes is actually associated with varroa drops, the side with the greatest drop should repeatedly follow the spike positions.
 
I was given one to try this year. Don't expect any great results but the video of the bees scratching against the bits of plastic makes me smile.
 
Pity it didn't follow through with the varroa drop count....I would expect to see extra under the bar area.
 
Will do veg but if you want one just contact them as they were giving them away to anyone interested to try one. They don't claim it's going to work but do say they have seen interesting results so far and as a result looking to widen the testing.
 
Well ... you know me ... I'm up for anything non-chemical but reading the stuff on the website it says "The framework is placed on the floor of a beehive" ... to be perfectly honest I don't very often see bees crawling around on the floor of the hive except for the undertakers clearing out bodies. So, in order for this to work the bees would have to want to go down there to use it .... Perhaps they will ?

I would be more inclined, if they really do want to scratch themselves to relieve themselves of varroa, to have something that is set up inside a rapid feeder. on top of the crown board. If the bees REALLY wanted to scratch they could go up into the rapid feeder and some spikes or a couple of bits of monofilament stretched from one side to the other would provide them with a bit of something to scratch themselves on and dislodge the mites.

The trough in the rapid feeder would have a sticky bottom that mites knocked off would stick to and it would be very easy to see whether or not the bees were actually using things as a mite removal post and were making a positive trip to do it. You would see them through the clear lid on the rapid feeder as well.

There you are ... who's going to make the first PARGYLE RAPID MITE REMOVAL TOOL ? ... not patented it yet ! You heard it on here first !!

I haven't observed or measured any mites in my hive so someone else may have to test it for me ....
 
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Tom Bick said:
I think you are best placed to take that on.
Click to expand...

OK ... I'll bite, it's not going in the hive until it gets warmer but I'm game to try it.

So ... here's my rapid feeder what do you all reckon I can put in there that the bees will scratch on ... my initial thoughts are either frame wires with 5mm or 6mm or 7mm of space between them ~ stretched between the inner cone and the outside of the feeder or what about some frame nails driven through from the inside of the cone and sticking out inside the trough ?

I'll cut a piece of 5mm plastic faced ply to fit in the bottom of the feeder that I can grease up to catch the critters that fall off when the bees scratch but that I can remove to scrape off all the hoards of dead varroa.

Any other suggestions ?
 
pargyle said:
OK ... I'll bite, it's not going in the hive until it gets warmer but I'm game to try it.

...
Any other suggestions ?
Click to expand...

I suppose we could all do the unthinkable and buy one from Bee Gym when they come on the market.

The video on the website certainly appears to show grooming activity taking place on the device in a hive and if this device removes mites from the bees without the use of chemicals, it'd be prepared to give one a go. I'd also buy some of Rodger Dewhurst's self-cleaning queens to help the process along.

CVB
 
if it does work it needs to be near the nurse bees as varroa levels are high near the brood , his web site says a much, in that it does not work as well in 14x12 deep or double brood hive

i thought about just putting a stem of bramble on top of the frames
 
MuswellMetro said:
if it does work it needs to be near the nurse bees as varroa levels are high near the brood , his web site says a much, in that it does not work as well in 14x12 deep or double brood hive

i thought about just putting a stem of bramble on top of the frames
Click to expand...

That's a good idea MM ... natural materials as well ... Mind you I do wonder if the bees wanted something to scratch on then they would probably find something to scratch on ... they are very adaptive and versatile creatures.

It's curious that just introducing a 'Bee Gym' suddenly induces this behaviour ?
 
pargyle said:
Mind you I do wonder if the bees wanted something to scratch on then they would probably find something to scratch on ... they are very adaptive and versatile creatures.
Click to expand...

:iagree:

You been reading my mind or what Phil!? I've just come on here to make that point, it's been on my mind for a while.
There's plenty of little corners and edges in the hive to scratch on, or maybe they find a bit of bramble (As per MM) during an emptying or foraging flight (you know, bit like me - get up, have a good scratch, dump, and so to work!) And isn't it better that they do it outside thus leaving the mites out and away from the hive rather than inside with the chances of the varroa just hitching a lift on another bee.
Bee gym indeed! but it's bound to catch the eye of anyone wishing to grab the chance of a more 'treatment free' IPM.
A bit like the promise of a device to make hive thefts a thing of the past.

SNAKE OIL​

P T Barnum comes to mind again :D
 
Since the device can only have any effect upon a few of the phoretic mites (and for most of the year phoretic mites are in a small minority of the population), I can't imagine it as being particularly effective.
I may be more polite than Mr Jenkins (occasionally) - but I do rather agree with him.
 
jenkinsbrynmair said:
:iagree:

You been reading my mind or what Phil!? I've just come on here to make that point, it's been on my mind for a while.
jenkinsbrynmair said:
:

Yes ... it was bugging me a bit -it didn't make a lot of sense putting it at the very bottom of the hive where very few bees really go and then I thought the bees spend a lot of time smoothing things out inside the hive anyway - they tend to chew off any rough splinters from my home made frames and I find the debris on the hive floor. If they were that worried about scratching then they would be scratching on splinters and bits of stuff already in the hive.

What I can't reconcile is the video of them apparently rubbing up against the bits of the 'Bee gym' .. so what ARE they doing ? My guess is they are using their bodies to try and determine what the projections are and then, presumably, they'll be breaking their teeth trying to smooth it out -- or perhaps they are just scent marking the projections so that the propolisers can come along later and smooth things out ?

Who knows ... I'm not convinced (even though I lean towards the dark side of beekeeping) that it's an answer. Perhaps my feeder will stay as a feeder rather than being turned into a bee scratching post and varroa trap !:leaving:
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Well HMG have spent a fortune making me into a finely tuned cynic - by now I'm pretty good at smoking out a suspect story!
I'm selling these in a variety of colours if anyone is interested - banker's drafts, cash and postal orders only I'm afraid.
 
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