Mite Monitoring Methods
Drones and Varroa: Part 2
Contents Testing Hypothesis #2. 2 Let’s Do the Calcs! 11 Conclusions 11 Why Would Mites Prefer Drones?. 12 Acknowledgements. 12 Citations and Notes 12 Drones and Varroa Part 2 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ November 2023 In the May issue of this journal, Dr. Zac Lamas presented some findings of...
How to Perform a Mite Wash to Monitor the Varroa Infestation Rate
Monitoring the varroa infestation rate by performing mite washes We don’t like to kill a bee any more than you do, but feel that any colony would gladly sacrifice a handful of workers in order to prevent facing an ugly death due to a varroa/virus overload. I’ve spent years testing and developing different methods of...
Smokin’ Hot Mite Washin’- 2025 Update
Smokin’-Hot Mite Washin’ 2025 Update Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com Monitoring the infestation rate of your colonies One has an ethical responsibility to prevent the suffering of any livestock under their care. Most commercial stocks of honey bees, unless “treated” for varroa, will die an ugly (and preventable) death. Most colony losses are due to inadequate...
The Shift Toward Bioacaricides
Contents SYNTHETIC MITICIDES. 2 BIOPESTICIDES. 3 PEST RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT. 4 SHIFTING TO “NATURAL” TREATMENTS. 5 MONITORING THE DEGREE OF MITE INFESTATION. 6 TREATMENT THRESHOLDS. 7 PHYSICAL, MECHANICAL, AND BIOTECHNICAL METHODS. 10 PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER. 13 BIOLOGICALLY RESISTANT STOCK. 14 NOTES AND CITATIONS. 15 The Shift Toward Bioacaricides Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published...
Selective Breeding for Mite Resistance Part 3: The Equipment Required
Contents INTRODUCTION – SOME ARTICLES FROM 2017 1 MY OBJECTIVE 2 LET’S PUT TO REST TO A COMMON MISCONCEPTION 3 DEVELOPMENT OF THE MITE WASH TECHNIQUE 3 DEVELOPMENT OF A DEVICE TO DO THOUSANDS OF MITE WASHES 4 A SYSTEM TO AVOID CONFUSION IN THE FIELD 5 DEVELOPMENT OF PORTABLE IN-FIELD AGITATORS 7 NEXT MONTH...
Selective Breeding for Mite Resistance Part 4: How We Do It
Contents NOTE TO OUR COUNTRY’S QUEEN PRODUCERS 2 IT’S NOT A “ONE AND DONE” 2 HOW WE DO IT 2 PICKING OUR QUEENS TO BREED FROM 3 ELIMINATING UNWANTED ALLELES WHILE MAINTAINING GENETIC DIVERSITY 4 PROPAGATING OUR BREEDERS 4 MANAGING OUR DRONE POOL 5 START THE VARROA RACE! 7 OUR MITE-RESISTANCE ASSAY 8 FOLLOW UP...
Selective Breeding for Mite Resistance: Part 5–It’s Your Turn
Contents SUPPLY FOLLOWS DEMAND.. 4 SOME SUGGESTIONS. 4 SO HERE’S A LIST OF SOME OPTIONS: 4 Option #1 (Take your breeders from Nature) 4 Option #2 (Rolling the dice) 5 Option #3 (the one that we took) 5 Option #4 (the easiest) 6 HOW MANY COLONIES DO I NEED?. 6 HOW SHOULD I CONTROL...
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