{"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 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 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 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 While we received 178 responses<\/strong>, this is not a scientific study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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 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 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\nWhat Are Varroa Mites?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
CSIRO [CC BY 3.0 (https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0)]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nAbout Our Varroa Mite Treatment Poll<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Beekeeper Experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Do Beekeepers Use Chemicals To Control Varroa Mites?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n