Practical Guide: 1.5.2 Powdered Sugar Method

The powdered sugar method is a non-destructive diagnostic technique for estimating varroa mite infestation in honey bees. It provides an estimate of the mite load by dislodging mites from the bees’ bodies using powdered sugar, allowing them to be counted. The following summary is based on the official Practical Guide 1.5.2 of the Swiss Bee Health Service.

Official Practical Guide (BGD / SSA) – Summary

Practical Guide: 1.5.2 Powdered Sugar Method

• Purpose: Non-harmful determination of varroa mite infestation (“monitoring”), not a therapeutic treatment.
• Principle: Powdered sugar is added to a defined number of bees; by shaking/movement, mites are dislodged, collected on a surface, and counted.
• Required material: Collection container/jar with lid, fine mesh sieve/ventilation holes, powdered sugar, tray/white surface to collect mites, measuring tool.
• Procedure – Steps:
  • Collect 300–400 bees from the brood nest and place them in the container.
  • Add powdered sugar to the container, close the lid, and gently shake.
  • Pour the powdered sugar and dislodged mites through a sieve onto a light-coloured surface.
  • Count the mites on the surface.
  • Standardise the result (e.g. mites per 100 bees) and use it as an indicator of infestation level.
• Interpretation: The method provides an estimate of mite load; the higher the value, the more urgent a therapeutic varroa measure may be (depending on timing).
• Note: The powdered sugar method is a monitoring tool and does not replace systematic varroa treatments.

► PDF of the official practical guide (DE)

► Official overview of practical guides (bienen.ch)
Note: Section Varroa management → 1.5.2 “Powdered Sugar Method”.

Summary based on Practical Guide 1.5.2. Last review: 01/2026.

Learn more:

• Practical Guide 1.1 Varroa Concept
• Practical Guide 1.5.1 Natural varroa fall: measurement
• Practical Guide 1.5.3 Wash method for infestation assessment
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