No. 14
The Mann Lake Sticky Board is a practical, no-frills tool for beekeepers who want an accurate, low-cost way to monitor Varroa mite populations.
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The Mann Lake Sticky Board is a practical, no-frills tool for beekeepers who want an accurate, low-cost way to monitor Varroa mite populations. While it requires manual counting and periodic sheet replacement, its solid fit with Mann Lake bottom boards and reusable design make it a staple for integrated pest management programs.
Derived from this product's specification, features and owner reports.
The Mann Lake sticky board for mite count is a purpose-built monitoring tool designed to help beekeepers accurately assess Varroa mite infestation levels within a hive without relying on guesswork or invasive sampling methods. Constructed from durable, coated material, the board slides easily beneath a standard hive's screened bottom board, capturing mites that naturally fall through the mesh during their daily activity cycle. This passive collection method allows beekeepers to gather a realistic, undisturbed sample of mite drop over a 24 to 72 hour period, giving a clear numerical baseline for calculating infestation severity using established economic threshold formulas that guide treatment decisions.
Made to fit seamlessly with Mann Lake's screened bottom boards and most standard Langstroth hive configurations, this sticky board features a tacky adhesive surface that holds mites in place once they fall, preventing them from crawling back up into the colony and skewing the count. The board's grid pattern, often printed directly onto its surface, simplifies the counting process by dividing the area into measurable sections, making it easier for beekeepers to estimate total mite fall accurately even when working with partial counts. Its slide-out design means minimal disruption to the hive during insertion and removal, reducing stress on the colony while still delivering the diagnostic data needed to catch mite problems before they escalate into colony collapse.
Reusable and easy to clean between inspections, the Mann Lake sticky board offers a cost-effective alternative to disposable monitoring options, making it a practical choice for both hobbyist beekeepers managing a few hives and commercial operations tracking mite levels across large apiaries. Regular use of this tool supports an integrated pest management approach, allowing beekeepers to time treatments precisely rather than applying miticides on a fixed schedule regardless of actual need. By pairing this sticky board with routine inspection intervals, beekeepers gain a reliable early warning system against Varroa destructor, ultimately protecting hive health, improving winter survival rates, and supporting more sustainable, data-driven apiary management practices.