Hi @Martha, I think you have some good ideas, and tidying up the bridge comb is always helpful. One of the things I like to do with Varroa treatment is an “accelerated mite drop” count. Sounds fancy, but it is very simple.
- While you are vaping, thoroughly clean off the core flute slider.
- When you have finished with the iron, put the clean slider back
- Exactly 24 hours later, remove the slider carefully and count the number of mites.
- If there are more than 25 mites on the whole slider, repeat treatment every 5 days until the count drops.
This is a standard method used in the UK. I have sometimes found that 6 or 7 treatments may be needed, especially at times where robbing increases and my naughty bees have picked up some dirty old mites from somebody else’s weak hive.
If you have a super on the hive, you should take it off before vaping. I am not so concerned about OA getting into the honey, as the extra space diluting the OAV to a suboptimal levels.
Hope that helps.