{"id":4512,"date":"2021-01-17T19:27:17","date_gmt":"2021-01-18T00:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beekeepingfornewbies.com\/?p=4512"},"modified":"2022-09-11T20:03:57","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T00:03:57","slug":"comparing-varroa-mite-treatments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beekeepingfornewbies.com\/comparing-varroa-mite-treatments\/","title":{"rendered":"Comparing Varroa Mite Treatments (What Beekeepers Use)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Updated on September 11th, 2022<\/p>\n

Varroa mite infestation is nearly universal in honey bee colonies and represents one of the biggest threats to any colony’s survival. Beekeepers can choose from a variety of miticides (synthetic or organic chemicals) designed to mitigate the impact of varroa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comparing varroa mite treatments among beekeepers we polled, the most popular and effective treatment against varroa mites is oxalic acid. Another organic substance, formic acid (sold as Mite Away Quick Strips\u00ae or Formic Pro\u00ae) and Apivar\u00ae, a synthetic miticide, were 2nd and 3rd, respectively.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The vast majority of 178 beekeepers surveyed used multiple miticides, a widely accepted practice to avoid developing resistance to one chemical. Many also used non-chemical procedures as part of an integrated pest management system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miticides are pesticides specifically designed to target mites but not honey bees.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Beekeepers also told us what methods they prefer for checking infestation levels and other information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article we will provide the results of our poll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are Varroa Mites?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Varroa destructor mites<\/strong> are parasites that attach themselves to honey bee brood and adult bees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varroa mites feed on the host leading to varroosis, a parasitic disease. Varroosis weakens the bee\u2019s immune system making it more susceptible to other diseases and viruses. Varroa aid the spread of disease as they move around the colony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Varroa mite magnified<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Varroa destructor on a honey bee pupa
CSIRO [CC BY 3.0 (https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0)]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Varroa mites are found in virtually all honey bee colonies and reproductive growth is exponential. Left unchecked, varroa mites and the viruses they spread will eventually cause a colony to collapse.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to eradicate varroa from honey bee colonies. Most beekeepers work to control their population and limit the damage they cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2018 NYS Beekeeper Tech Team Report (available here)<\/a> says that 61% of colonies sampled indicated a mite infestation level that requires “immediate treatment to prevent colony death\u201d. It also says, \u201cVarroa mite levels are a significant predictor of winter loss in New York State.\u201d In the 2016 report, the survey sample indicated 90% of colonies had Varroa. The presence of Varroa is nearly universal among bee colonies.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our article Varroa Mites: A Complete Treatment Guide<\/a><\/strong> provides much greater detail about the varroa destructor mite, methods of testing the level of infestation and various ways to mitigate its impact on your hives.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

About Our Varroa Mite Treatment Poll<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Varroa mitigation is a popular, and occasionally controversial, beekeeping topic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot has been written on what beekeepers can or “should” do to mitigate varroa. We decided to ask beekeepers in a number of Facebook beekeeping groups to find out what they actually ARE DOING.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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While we received 178 responses<\/strong>, this is not a scientific study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Country of respondent<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Not surprisingly, respondents to our survey were overwhelmingly U.S. based. Canada and the UK were next and a number of other countries had one response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. responses came from 37 states, led by Maine (10.2%) and New York (8.2%). <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Beekeeper Experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Respondents to our questions had a wide variety of beekeeping experience, both in terms of years of beekeeping and the number of hives managed.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Years of beekeeping experience<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Number of hives managed<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Do Beekeepers Use Chemicals To Control Varroa Mites?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Properly used chemicals are very effective in controlling varroa populations. Treatments are administered in ways designed to kill the mites but not the bees. However, the bees may have other reactions (besides death) to the treatments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think every beekeeper would prefer to manage hives chemical-free. In fact, some beekeepers are resolutely “treatment-free” avoiding all chemicals and even some non-chemical interference in the business of their honey bees.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We did not put our survey in a Facebook treatment-free beekeeping group as any discussion of treatments is forbidden. Despite that, several respondents indicated that they do not use any chemicals to treat varroa mites.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

See our article What Is Treatment-Free Beekeeping? (A Controversial Topic)<\/a><\/strong> for more information.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Nearly 90% of those surveyed said they use chemical treatments to control varroa mites<\/strong>. Only 10% do not use chemicals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Do you use chemicals to treat varroa mites?<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How Do Beekeepers Decide When To Treat For Varroa?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Beekeeping guides typically advise chemically treating hives only when varroa mite infestation exceeds certain thresholds. <\/strong>Doing so limits the bees’ exposure to the chemicals and reduces chemical build-up in wax and food stores, including honey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the efficacy of many chemicals is affected by variables such as the temperature, existence of brood, or if there is honey flow.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have often treated our hives based on the calendar<\/strong> rather than mite counts because of these limitations. We wondered if we were alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We are clearly not alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only 17.5% of respondents base their decision to treat for varroa solely on mite counts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over 82% use the calendar for at least some of their treatment decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We suspect the primary driver of calendar treatments is the strong desire to treat just before winter. However, our survey did not address this question.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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How do you determine when to treat for varroa mites?<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Treating New Bee Packages And Nucs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Newly purchased bees, particularly those from online suppliers, often come from large commercial bee operations and may have varroa mites. Even bees from reputable local beekeepers may arrive with some varroa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I’ve seen recommendations to mist new bees with a mix of oxalic acid and sugar water prior to installing them in the hive. We have never done that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It turns out that a majority of respondents do not treat newly arrived bees as standard procedure.<\/strong> However, a significant minority do treat newly acquired bees<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Do you routinely treat new bee packages and nucs when you get them?<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How Do You Determine Mite Counts?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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There are several ways to determine if your colony’s mite count exceeds acceptable thresholds:<\/p>\n\n\n\n