Dealing with Varroa mites at NewGenBees

Bees aren’t the only thing that lives in and around a beehive

The Varroa Mite (varroa destructor) is about 3mm wide. It is a parasite that lives in the beehive on the bees. The female lays her eggs in the cell where a bee larva is about to be sealed prior to its emergence as a fully fledged bee. Many modern beekeepers use chemicals to control their varroa infestation. This is a very serious no no to me because I want to know that my honey only contains what the bees put there. I can hear all the users of Apistan etc. all saying 'but you don't put it in the hive when a nectar flow is on'. I know that but my sole method of controlling varroa is a good dusting through the top of the frames with icing sugar if the infestation gets too high. So far this has been very effective. I can get a fair indication of the varroa infestation by removing the board below the mesh floor, which is built in the base of my Warré hives. By counting the dead varroa I then have a reliable indicator of the quantity of mites in the hive. It is thought that the icing sugar helps encourage and stimulate the bees natural grooming habit and that in turn dislodges more of the varroa. They then drop on the mesh floor and fall through onto the board and perish because they cannot get back into the safety of the hive. Recent (spring 2009) scientific trials would suggest that icing sugar has no effect whatsoever! I suspect the trials were paid for by a manufacturer of anti varroa chemicals rather than a producer of icing sugar! It is all I have used so far and the varroa are under control at present. Another common sight in a beehive is the Wax Moth, there are Lesser and Greater varities!

Varroa Mites were first discovered in beehives in the UK in 1992. It is believed that the quantities found indicated that the mite had been here for several years to become so established. Its spread has been unstoppable once it has entered an area where bees are kept.