Varroa Management
Allow me to start with an excellent assessment by Bee Culture’s Phil Craft (BC July 2015):
Perhaps beekeepers who have come to the craft in the last few decades aren’t aware of the effect varroa had when it first arrived on this continent and of how it earned its full name, Varroa destructor. Whatever the reason, every year, beekeepers all over the country lose colonies to mites and the viruses of which they are carriers, and they never know what hit them. They blame pesticides,or CCD, or habitat loss, and sometimes those really are causes, or at least significant factors. However, too, too often, the underlying cause is a lack of effective management, which allows a mite infestation to overwhelm a colony or weaken it to the point that it succumbs easily to other stressors. The most frustrating thing about these losses is that they don’t have to happen.
Watch Dennis vanEngelsdorp explain why mite management is critical for colony survival, and which methods work or don’t at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bm3Y4t1NwQ
Table updated Dec 20, 2023. You can print this table directly from this page. It is critical to mix and apply oxalic dribble correctly (5 mL between each frame of bees), or you risk seriously harming your bees! Be sure to read: https://scientificbeekeeping.com/oxalic-acid-questions-answers-and-more-questions-part-1-of-2-parts/ https://scientificbeekeeping.com/the-learning-curve-part-3-the-natural-miticides/ https://scientificbeekeeping.com/oxalic-dribble-tips/ https://scientificbeekeeping.com/oxalic-acid-powerpoint-presentation/ Update Dec 20, 2023: We’ve experimented with using glycerin […]
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An Early Summer Test of Mite-Away Quick StripsTM First published in ABJ September 2011 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com In the February issue of this Journal, I wrote about a fall trial that I performed with the new formic acid delivery method—Mite-Away Quick Strips (MAQSTM). I had been impressed by their efficacy and ease of use. Imagine […]
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Sick Bees Part 12 Varroa Management—Getting Down to the Brass Tacks Randy Oliver www.ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in ABJ September 2011 Last month I showed how to make a mite shaker bottle, so that you could easily keep track of the actual mite levels in your hives. So now you may wonder, how do I use […]
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First published in: ABJ June 2011
Sick Bees Part 11: Parasite Monitoring Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in ABJ August 2011 Last month I was presumptuous enough to try to boil successful beekeeping down to four basic rules. Giving the bees a dry home with plenty of honey is pretty obvious, so I’m going to make the other three easy to […]
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First published in: American Bee Journal, March 2011
I welcome practical, tested tips, methods, and assessments from other beekeepers who are successfully keeping bees with varroa. I found this article to be a good reality check on certain varroa IPM methods. It was originally published in the March 2011 ABJ, and I asked the author if I could post it to this website. […]
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IPM 6 Fighting Varroa The Arsenal: Our Choice of Chemical Weapons Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in June 2007 I’m clearly in the “minimal chemical” camp, yet all my commercial buddies, without exception, depend upon “off label” use of agricultural miticides to keep their colonies alive. These are top-notch beekeepers, and I […]
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IPM 7 Fighting Varroa The Arsenal: “Natural” Treatments – Part 2 © Randy Oliver 2007 ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in September 2007 (Tenth in a Series on Integrated Pest Management of Varroa) Let me tell you, researching and writing this series has been an education for me! Several of my preconceived notions have […]
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IPM 7 Fighting Varroa 7 The Arsenal: “Natural” Treatments Part 1 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in August 2007 (Ninth in a series on integrated pest management of Varroa) Disclaimer: I am not licensed to make any pesticide recommendation. I am merely reporting on information from appropriate authorities. You should consult your local authority […]
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IPM 5 Fighting Varroa Biotechnical Tactics 2 The One-Two Punch Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in May 2007 Introduction 1 Drone Brood Management and Trap Combs 1 Powdered sugar dusting 4 The Oliver 15-second sugar dust method 6 Discussion 7 The one-two punch—30 seconds to knock out varroa! 7 My new website […]
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IPM 5 Fighting Varroa : Biotechnical Tactics 1 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in April 2007 (Fifth in a series on Integrated Pest Management of Varroa) (Photos to be added – check back) In the “silver bullet” model, any mite kill less than 95% was considered ineffective. Unfortunately, the days of that […]
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Integrated Pest Management 4: Fighting Varroa Reconnaissance Mite Sampling Methods and Thresholds © Randy Oliver 2006 ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in March 2007 Three strategies I’ve found that always fail when battling varroa are: 1. Denial—“I haven’t seen any mites, so my mite levels must be low.” 2. Wishful thinking—“I haven’t seen very […]
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IPM 3 Fighting Varroa : Strategy – Understanding Varroa Population Dynamics © Randy Oliver 2006 ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in February 2007 What are the Population Dynamics of Varroa in a Honeybee Colony? Seasonal Factors Computer Models What Can We Do to Keep the Mite Population Under Control? Tactics Used by Mite-Tolerant Bees Acknowledgements […]
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IPM 2 Fighting Varroa 2 Choosing your Troops Breeding Mite-Fighting Bees (Second in a series on Integrated Pest Management of varroa) ScientificBeekeeping.com Originally published in ABJ, Jan. 2007 I got tired of getting my butt kicked by varroa. My first step in getting the upper hand on the mite was to forswear the coddling of […]
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Oxalic Acid: Part 2 Heat Vaporization and Other Methods Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com Originally published ABJ Jan 2007 Update December 2016: I suggest that you view my oxalic acid Powerpoint presentation, which I will try to keep up to date–https://scientificbeekeeping.com/oxalic-acid-powerpoint-presentation/ In my article last month, I detailed the use of the oxalic acid sugar syrup “dribble” […]
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IPM 1 Fighting Varroa The Silver Bullet, or Brass Knuckles? © Randy Oliver 2006, 2009 ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in December 2006 The varroa mite is the toughest challenge ever faced by American beekeepers. Our reaction to it reminds me of the five stages of dealing with trauma (greatly paraphrased from Kubler-Ross 1997): Stage […]
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