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🧪 Sugar Roll vs Alcohol Wash Sampling Lab

A practical, side-by-side walkthrough of the two standard adult-bee sampling methods for Varroa mite counts, including exact steps, sample sizes, and when to choose one over the other.

Entomology & Insect Behaviour3DModerate60 FPS

Two 3D sample jars sit side by side on a lab bench, running the sugar roll and alcohol wash protocols in parallel on the same size sample, so you can watch each method's shake, strain and count steps and see exactly why their mite recovery rates differ.

🔬 What It Demonstrates

Bees tumble and mites detach as each jar is shaken, then get strained onto a tray where the count is compared against the true (usually unknowable) infestation — sugar roll consistently under-recovers slightly, alcohol wash comes closest to the real number.

🎮 How to Use

Drag the Protocol step slider through collect → add medium → shake → strain → compare, or tick Auto-advance to watch it loop. Adjust Sample size and True mite load to see both jars' recovered counts and the action-threshold bar chart respond.

💡 Did You Know?

Sugar roll bees are dusted, not drowned — they can be released back into the hive after sampling, while alcohol wash sacrifices the sample outright in exchange for a more reliable count.

⚙ Under the hood

A practical, side-by-side walkthrough of the two standard adult-bee sampling methods for Varroa mite counts, including exact steps, sample sizes, and when to choose one over the other.

Varroa MitePest ControlBee SamplingHive MonitoringBeekeepingMitesThree.js

3D · Three.js / WebGL renderer · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install