Screened Mason Cap

This replacement screened lid fits a large mouth mason jar. It is used to make your own Sugar Shake Jar.

Shake a frame of bees from the brood area into the dishpan and inspect for the queen. Knock the bees into a corner and scoop 1/2 cup of bees (~300 ) with the measuring cup and put into the mason jar. Screw on the wire mesh cap and sift in 2 tablespoons or so of powdered sugar. Shake the bees vigorously to dislodge the mites, let them sit for a minute, and repeat the shaking. Next, shake out the sugar and mites onto the white plate. Return the powdered (ghost) bees to the hive and then spray the powder on the plate with water using the spray bottle to dissolve the sugar and the brown mites are now clearly visible on the white plate. Divide the number of mites by three and now you have the percent infestation of your sample.