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Reason, why you should build a bee hotel in your garden?

Reason, why you should build a bee hotel in your garden?

Gardening is most rewarding when you take the time to look. That gnat on the chervil flower may be a tiny wasp that is obligingly pollinating the bloom.

Reason, why you should build a bee hotel in your garden?

I find these small, harmless wild bees and wasps enormously entertaining as they flit about and feed on nectar and pollen. I can’t distinguish all the species, but I know they are valuable and of no bother to me. Moreover, I draw great satisfaction in feeling that I have helped create an environment where these winged wonders can thrive.

Other gardeners go further, and they put out nesting tubes for bees – bee houses or bee nesting boxes or bee hotels, call them what you will – and they are an effective way to draw certain bee species to your domain.

There are pitfalls and there is disagreement, too, as to how they should be managed, but on balance bee houses offer a great way to invite this hidden universe into your landscape. At the very least, putting a bee house in your garden offers a constructive and educational distraction from pandemic blues, especially in households with young children.

The bee house ranges from something as simple as a few hollow reeds bundled together to elaborate framed structures that you can buy. And yes – unlike slotted butterfly houses (remember those?) – they actually work.

Everyone is familiar with honeybees, an Old World bee long established in North America, but the bees that are drawn to bee houses are principally species of mason and leaf-cutter bees.

There are approximately 3,600 species of wild bee in the United States.

The most conspicuous type of these, the beleaguered bumblebee, doesn’t inhabit bee houses but nests together in the ground, old mouse nests and even tussocks of grass.

For the most part, wild bees “are small, they’re dark and they’re in the background,” says Jennifer Hopwood, a conservation specialist with the Xerces Society. “But they’re still out there, and it’s important to support them when we can.”

Most wild bees nest in such terrestrial places, but about a quarter of them inhabit tunnels in decaying wood, fallen logs or in hollowed-out stems, making them potential tenants for the bee house, says David Mizejewski, a naturalist with the National Wildlife Federation and author of Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Backyard Wildlife.

These bees are solitary; they don’t live in hives or nests, though they will gather in bundled tubes, one to a tunnel, to shelter and raise their young.

Whether you make your own bee house or buy a readymade one, Mizejewski and Holly Walker, plant health specialist at Smithsonian Gardens, offer these tips for success: The tubes should be removable for good bee house sanitation; fungal diseases can build up and sicken the bees.

And if you want to go above and beyond, you can collect the tubes in the fall, dismantle them carefully to examine the hibernating cocoons and discard the pupae that have disease or parasites. The keepers are then stored in a cold, sheltered spot – not indoors – over the winter so they can emerge in the spring. Other experts say you don’t have to go to such bother to be a successful native bee guardian; replacing tubes every year or two is sufficient.

Harvesting and cleaning bamboo is laborious, says Sam Droege, a biologist at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland, but reeds and grasses are easier to collect. As sturdy, hollow-stemmed grasses, miscanthus, pampas grass and the weedy reed named phragmites are well-suited to the task. Tie off the stems, cut them to the desired length (a saw is good for this) and bundle them. “You can make them into sculpture,” Droege says. Sounds like a great summer project to do with the kids.

Hopwood says one common tenant is a wasp that lines its tunnel with blades of grass that stick out of the end conspicuously.

Other considerations: The tubes should be at least six inches long to allow for a sufficient brood chamber, and they should be secure so they don’t blow around in the wind. Place them below an overhang to keep them dry but not too close to the ground to minimise predation. Position them to face the morning sun, so the bees can warm up early in the day and get about their work.

What shouldn’t you do? Some experts advise against assembling bee houses that are too large, because the concentration of bees will invite disease, parasites and predators. Don’t use plastic straws, because they won’t wick moisture away from the nests, says Samuel Ramsey, an entomologist who lives in Washington. He has had as many as 10 clusters of tubes in his suburban home. “There’s quite a diversity of native bees,” he says. “They tend to be overlooked.”

Insect hotels incorporate bee tubes but offer materials and habitats for a wider range of desirable invertebrates. This breadth of function may make managing the bee tubes more difficult, and, in my experience, these mega structures don’t age well without repair and maintenance.

Walker is not gung-ho on the old practice of simply drilling holes into blocks of wood because of the difficulty of keeping them free of bee diseases and pests.

But others are more relaxed about this. Droege says grab a portable drill and bits between 1/16 inch and 1/2 inch and go about the garden making holes. Avoid pressure-treated wood, live trees and Uncle Harry’s rowboat. “People tend to get very rigid about what these bees require, but it’s very straightforward,” he says. “Drill holes, give them a lot of options.”

For spring-nesting mason bees, the best time to put up a bee house is in late winter, but other bee species will use the tubes throughout the growing season, so there is no bad time to install one. It may take a while for the bees to find it, but they will arrive. “Absolutely,” Ramsey says. “Every single year.”

An organisation formed to help pollinators, Pollinator Partnership, gives a plan for a homemade bee hotel on its website, pollinator.org.

These insects pose little or no threat to people. Even the ones with effective stingers don’t have the nest-defending aggression of social species such as honeybees or yellow-jackets, experts say.

Ultimately, the bee houses may be more for our benefit than for the bees, because these creatures are around anyway. Droege says an acre of land can support an estimated 25,000 individual bees annually.

Bee houses are a small part of what you can do. The best way to harbour wild bees is to garden with them in mind, which is to say avoid using pesticides, plant lots of herbaceous perennials and grasses, and let fallen branches lie to give these insects the sort of natural habitat they used long before bee houses were dreamed up.

Don’t be too tidy. In her garden in Omaha, Hopwood cuts back her perennials and grasses in winter at six to eight inches above the ground. This leaves old, hollow stems standing that the bees will use during the spring. Vernonia, Joe Pye weed and the aptly named bee balm (bergamot) are all good perennials for this use, she says. The new spring growth of the perennials will soon hide the old stalks.

Some ecological gardeners will leave top growth after it fades in October, but Droege says this is of little value to wild bees unless the stems have been damaged or cut, so they can gain access. “I tell people, cut everything off at a foot in the fall, and then you have got a whole source of open stems for bees to choose next year,” he says.

Many bee species rely on specific native plants for their pollen needs, so the gardener should consider planting those for them. These would include native willows and dogwoods and plants within the daisy family, such as asters, rudbeckias and goldenrods.

By welcoming all wild bees, we get a practical benefit: They are good at pollinating garden plants, so we get fruit and vegetables and seeds and berries.

But placing a bee house by the kitchen window and observing these creatures, even when one species preys on another, simply adds to our understanding of nature. “There’s just no downside to opening up our world,” Hopwood says.

Gardening tip:

Outdoor containers must drain to prevent soggy soil and root rot. Do not set them on saucers. A pot is fully watered when water drains from the bottom, and watering is easier if there is an inch between the soil and the lip of the container.

Materials by: The Washington Post

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How to build resilient bee colonies – lessons from Africa

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Beekeeping

Honeybees are under threat globally. These important pollinators are affected by issues of nutrition, habitat loss, pesticides, a changing climate, pathogens and an economic system that lacks ecological accountability.

honeybees

Honeybee (Apis mellifera) populations are also being wiped out by Colony Collapse Disorder, caused by a cocktail of debilitating factors. Industrial-style beekeeping practices are making this worse. Since the condition was first reported in 2006, it has killed tens of millions of honey bees. Bees compromised by the effects of the disorder are most vulnerable to the deadly varroa mite. In many commercial apiaries the parasite is controlled by chemical intervention. Chemicals plus the pathogens carried and introduced by Varroa destructor increase the stress bees are facing. Research by the Honeybee Genome Sequencing Consortium suggests that Apis mellifera is especially vulnerable because it “has fewer genes for innate immunity” and fewer genes for production of “detoxification enzymes”.

Yet the species is faring far better in many African countries than elsewhere. One of the reasons for this may be the continent’s deeply embedded indigenous knowledge and traditional beekeeping practices. In a 2012 report, for instance, the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organisation acknowledged that:

The main region of the world where traditional beekeeping practices are still the most widely used – tropical, sub-Saharan Africa – is also the region with (the) least honey bee disease problems.

The prevalence of wild bee colonies on the African continent also helps bees to remain healthy. These populations provide genetic diversity which mitigates some ailments.

Wild bees provide many lessons. Left to their own devices, for example, bees will apply an organic sheath, the propolis envelope, to the inside walls of their hives. The propolis envelope, consisting of plant gums with anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties, protects the entire community even if individual, innate immunity is weak.

Drawing from my own academic work around indigenous knowledge and 15 years working as a commercial apiarist, I set out to create a man-made hive that would support the bees’ own behaviour and biology. The result is the Agave log hive. I believe we should recognise, as is starting to happen, how indigenous knowledge and management can strengthen ecological integrity.

Bees as a body

We don’t know exactly when foraging wild honey gave way to harvesting honey from hives. What we do know is that “possesion” of wild bee colonies was a likely precursor to ownership of livestock during the past 2,000 years in southern Africa. Today, all manner of natural, locally available materials are used on the continent to construct bee hives.

Traditionally beekeeping in African countries is not about job creation, as it tends to be elsewhere. Neither does it conform to agro-industrial practices and mindset. Rather, it is primarily about supplementing rural livelihoods. The emphasis is on community needs.

For example beekeeping traditions in central Cameroon among the Gbaya people play an integral part in their culture. Detailed knowledge of the natural environment and specific hive-building skills, which tap into older practices, are demonstrated and documented. The Yiaku, former hunter-gatherers living in Kenya’s Mukogodo Forest, are another example. They practise log hive tree beekeeping along with a successful system of forest management.

These examples illustrate evidence of sustainable outcomes, maintained over centuries. They informed the conception and development of the Agave log hive. Another example I drew from was the San people’s understanding of bees. Archaeological evidence suggests that honey was being consumed and bees’ wax used by early people 40,000 years ago at Border Cave in South Africa. The San and their ancestors are the First People of southern Africa. Mythology and rock paintings of bees and honey-hunting attest to their intimate relationship with bees.

The /xam San people, when speaking about bees, say:

The bees, when the bees fly along in a body, they the Bushmen say, the bees go. One bee it is that which goes.

I thought about bees as a body, and the hive as integral to the health and wellbeing of the bee body. From there, I asked what a body needs to remain alive and healthy. Three important considerations in the design of the Agave log hive are immune system, thermoregulation, moisture and humidity regulation. When the atmosphere in a hive is optimal bees will survive and thrive.

The space bees choose to occupy has a direct bearing on their reproductive biology – a volume of 40 litres is ideal. Bees reproduce by swarming. They do this when the space they occupy becomes overcrowded, so hive space influences reproduction.

Hollowed out Agave logs have the ideal volumes and natural insulation; this aids temperature regulation and reduces unnecessary energy expenditure. The rough inner texture of the log encourages propolis collection. I found that the bees begin gathering propolis immediately to create the propolis envelope.

Next steps

Proof of concept has been tested over three years. During this time the process for developing the hives has been shared with others in practical workshops. Early on some empty hives were deployed in suburban areas with encouraging results. Bees move in of their own volition, arriving within 30 days but often within hours.

Colony build-up over eight to 12 months allows sufficient time for the colony to reproduce a swarm. This aspect is most exciting since a key aim of the project is to provide habitation from which bees can issue forth to rewild the environment.

The Agave log hive can be introduced into traditional beekeeping contexts seamlessly since it does not violate existing cultural norms and practices, either in its form or its supporting philosophy.

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Why bees aren’t having sex in the heat?

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Why bees aren’t having sex in the heat?

Today is World Bee Day, and after the positive news this week that a presumed-extinct species has been rediscovered, it turns out there are now different issues for the insect to contend with.

bees having sex in the heat

New research has found that bees struggle to reproduce in the heat. Rising temperatures are now believed to be partially sterilising insect populations. This unexpected side effect of global warming is bad news for us humans too, as bees pollinate a third of the food we eat.

The impact of climate change on bee reproduction has been carried out by teams at the University of British Columbia and North Carolina State University, who wanted to track how warm temperatures are impacting our buzzing friends.

“We think honey bees can help us track how climate change is making it harder for insects to reproduce,” explains biochemist and lead author of the paper Alison McAfee. “Terrestrial insect populations are declining around the world. Heat stress, like what can happen during heat waves, partially sterilizes [insects] by damaging their sperm.”

First McAfee’s team exposed queen bees to simulated heat waves, noting a spike in specific proteins in their bodies. Then the researchers used this as a benchmarker to create a diagnostic lab test. In other words, the team made a set of signifiers for heat stress which could then be used when examining new specimens, to see if an insect had been exposed to heat.

Heat stress has been found to impact other species’ reproductive abilities too. Scientists at Western Sydney University found that merino ewes and koalas “experience chronic stress as a result of extreme heat, and research indicates that it may also be affecting their ability to breed,” says lead researcher Dr Edward Narayan.

Because bees are crucial pollinators, they are essential parts of our ecosystem. This means protecting their fertility is vital for the food supplies we rely on. However, the findings have implications beyond just the birds and the bees, for bees.

bees aren’t having sex in the heat

Heat waves are damaging bees’ sperm, making it harder to reproduce.

“We are looking for signs of heat stress in queens as an indicator of what’s going on in the environment,” says McAfee. “If we start seeing signs of heat stress in honey bees, that’s when we really need to be worried about wild insects, which don’t have stewards like beekeepers, and are often solitary, making them more vulnerable to extreme temperatures.”

In fact McAfee hopes to be able to collaborate more with beekeepers around the world, as queen bees are usually replaced every couple of years by keepers. McAfee wants to use these queens in lab tests to monitor whether they have experienced heat stress in different environments as the climate changes.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP?

Despite the enormity of this situation, there are practical things we can do to help. More generally, we can work to ensure we are incorporating sustainable and eco-friendly choices throughout our lives, to help minimise our respective carbon footprints.

But if you want to help bees specifically, there are easy ways we can help them directly.

“The bees that really need our help are the wild bees, like bumble bees, leafcutter bees, and sweat bees,” explains McAfee. “They don’t have beekeepers to care for them and are often suffering from habitat loss, leaving them with too few places to forage or build nests.”

McAfee says giving wild bees places to live is crucial when it comes to supporting them.

“The bees would actually love it if you left your yard in a mess,” she says. “Lots of them nest in old sticks, crevices, or small burrows in the dirt, and flowering weeds are great forage.

“If you can’t do that, then try planting pollinator-friendly flowers using a mix of plant species that are native to your area. The best mixes have varieties that flower at different times, so they provide forage throughout the season.”

Interestingly, as with other animalsthriving during lockdown, bees have been no different. McAfee explains, “they’ve actually benefited from the pandemic because more green space is being left unmanaged, letting the weeds flourish like a buffet.”

 

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The Big Danger of the Varroa Mites

Varroa Mite Attacking Honey Bee online veterinary pharmacy
Varroa mites

One of the honey bee’s worst enemies is a tiny mite called Varroa destructor.

It is small and yet highly dangerous: the Varroa destructor mite is the most destructive enemy of the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera). The parasite has now spread to almost all parts of the world – except for Australia – and is a serious threat to bee health. Without human intervention, a bee colony infested with mites will typically die off in these regions within three years. In addition to the threat posed by the Varroa mite itself, there is also the danger of secondary infection from various mite-vectored diseases, which have also become more widespread and additionally weaken the bee colonies. The parasitic Varroa mites – much like ticks – transmit diseases that often prove fatal to adult honey bees and their brood. Combating the mite is a difficult task for researchers. This is because – despite a number of promising ideas – they have not yet managed to develop simple and long-lasting treatments for fighting the bee parasite, nor have they yet managed to breed a Varroa-resistant strain of the Western honey bee.

The Expansion of the Varroa Mite

Varroa mites

The Varroa mite is originally native to Asia, where it was first discovered on the island of Java in Indonesia over 100 years ago. The mite initially preyed on the Asian honey bee (Apis cerana). But over thousands of years the bee successfully adapted its behavior to the parasite. The bees fend off the mites through their intensive cleaning habits in the hive, thus minimizing harm to the colony. When European settlers brought the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) to Asia, it also fell prey to the Varroa mite. Through these infested colonies the parasite was then introduced to Europe, where since the 1970s it has continued to spread. Recent genetic investigations have revealed that Varroa jacobsoni comprises 18 different genetic variants with two main groups: Varroa jacobsoni and Varroa destructor. Varroa destructor, the newly identified type, inflicts a great deal of harm in Europe, North America and elsewhere because the Western honey bee lacks sufficient defense mechanisms. Clearly, the equilibrium between Varroa destructor and the Western honey bee has not yet been established. The mite is now found in many areas of the world: it is common not only in China and Russia but also in Central Europe and North and South America. Even New Zealand and Hawaii reported cases of infestation in the first decade of the 21st century. Australia is the only part of the world where the mite has not yet spread, mainly as a result of intensive biosafety protocols at the borders.

The Biology of the Parasite

Varroa destructor literally means “destructive mite.” And although the parasite’s name more or less says it all, this tiny arachnid is not much larger than a millimeter and lacks hearing and sight. The body of the mite has four pairs of legs and piercing and sucking mouthparts. It uses the numerous sensory hairs all over its body as receptors to sense its environment. The Varroa mite’s flattened shape and the suckers on its feet enable it to optimally grip the bee’s body. It uses its mouthparts to pierce the bee’s exoskeleton and feed on its hemolymph, a circulatory fluid similar to blood.

The Reproduction Process of the Varroa

Varroa mites

The parasite preys on both adult honey bees and their brood. Varroa females can also survive outside the brood cells by attaching themselves to adult bees. However, the parasite only reproduces in the sealed brood cells of the honey bee. Shortly before the brood cells are capped, the Varroa female mites enter and crawl to the bottom of these cells – they protect themselves from the bees that tend to the brood by hiding under the larvae. Here they first immerse themselves in the liquid brood food. Once this is depleted, the Varroa mite feeds directly on the bee larvae. The parasite has strongly adapted to its host in terms of habitat and food.

THE VARROA POPULATION CAN DOUBLE EVERY FOUR WEEKS DURING THE BREEDING SEASON. IT CAN GROW FROM 50 MITES UP TO AROUND 3,200 MITES FROM THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY TO THE END OF AUGUST – WHICH ENABLES IT TO WIPE OUT EVEN A STRONG BEE COLONY OVER THE WINTER.

Transmission of Honey Bee Viruses

Varroa mites

Unlike its South-East Asian counterpart, the Western honey bee lacks sufficient defense mechanisms to fend off the non-native parasites. Infested honey bees are weakened as a result of the mites feeding on their hemolymph, which puts a strain on the bees’ immune system. This adversely affects their performance and shortens their life span. When the parasite feeds on the larva, it also transmits dangerous viruses directly into the bees’ hemolymph. The viruses can spread and harm the bees during their vulnerable development stage. Varroa increases the extent of the infection, because in the hemolymph, many viruses become deadly. Since there are no effective medicines to treat honey bee viruses, control of the Varroa mite to reduce the spread of viruses is essential. One such virus that is very widespread is the deformed wing virus (DWV), which can occur both in the brood and in adult bees. Often an infection does not produce any visible symptoms, but if the parasite transmits the virus to bee pupae, the young bees will develop deformed wings. These bees are unable to fly – and have a shortened life span compared to healthy bees. The Varroa mite also transmits other viruses such as the acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), which can infect adult bees and larvae alike. It is primarily found in fat body cells and in the bees’ salivary glands, but does not produce any typical signs of disease. The mite transmits ABPV directly into the bees’ hemolymph. From there it spreads to the vital organs: once in the brain, the virus induces behavioral disturbances and impairs orientation and development – all of which can have lethal effects on the bees. An infection with ABPV is particularly critical in the case of winter bees – it severely affects their ability to survive until spring.

THE VARROA MITE HARMS HONEY BEES IN VARIOUS WAYS: 
– IT WEAKENS THE BEE’S IMMUNE SYSTEM, CAUSING DISEASE PROGRESSION TO BE MORE ACUTE. 
– IT TRANSMITS VIRUSES THAT SPREAD QUICKLY WITHIN AND BETWEEN BEE COLONIES. 
– IT TRANSMITS VIRUSES DIRECTION INTO THE BEES’ HEMOLYMPH – PREVIOUSLY HARMLESS VIRUSES CAN THUS BECOME LETHAL.

Infection with the Varroa mite

The varroa mite spreads from hive to hive through contact with bees from other colonies, even to colonies located several miles away. During natural and assisted reproduction and robbing, the varroa mite travels on the back of the host bee to nearby hives, where it continues to multiply and spread.

Combatting the Varroa mite

When it comes to improving honey bee health, one of the main activities of beekeepers in Europe and North America is fending off the Varroa mite. In fact, the beekeepers’ most important task – particularly in late summer – is to minimize the level of colony infestation. This is crucial to ensure that sufficient numbers of bees survive the cold months of the year, thus enabling a strong colony to develop again in the spring.

Homelabvet has some tips on this.

There are some quality and effective medicines that you can use against Varroa mites:

Amitraz Plus strips (active ingredient – Amitraz and Thymol), AntiVaro strips (active ingredient – flumethrinum), Taktic Amitraz amp (active ingredient – Amitraz), Taktic Amitraz 25ml (active ingredient – Amitraz), Taktic Amitraz 50ml, Oxalic Acid, Flumetriy (active ingredient – flumethrinum), Amipol – T (active ingredient – Amitraz and Thymol) – this is an analog of Amitraz Plus strips.

 

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How breeders toughen up honeybees to resist the deadly varroa mites

Varroa mite treatment honey bees

The varroa mites or Varroa destructor is an external parasite that’s endangering the honeybee colonies all over the globe. It was reported to be first seen in North Carolina in 1990. It was only three ago that its existence was made known to the united states. The mite weakens the bees by sucking on their fat bodies and because of their infestation, many honeybee colonies were wiped out. In the state of North Carolina, the recorded loss suggests a loss of 44 per cent of these honeybee colonies ever since the invasion. Hence, this makes it extremely important to understand the biology and workings of the varroa mites along with some effective control measures.

The biology of varroa mites.

Being external parasites, the varroa mites attack both the adult honeybees and their larvae that are still developing. The adult mites are oval and flattened in shape. They have reddish-brown coloring. Dimension wise they are 0.06 inches in width, almost as small as the size of a pinhead. The female mites enter the cell of the developing honeybee larvae to deposit a maximum of 6 eggs inside of it. As the mite develops it feeds on the pupae of the bee. If they are more mites predating on the pupae, more is the chance of the honeybee larvae dying or getting deformed. Sometimes they may not show any visual effects. The female mites of the bee larvae cell die but the male then continues to climb into the adult worker bees to feed on their hemolymph or the bee blood. The same cycle is repeated over and over by the female mites repeatedly. The male mites prefer the drone larvae instead of the worker bee larvae. But both the larvae stand at the danger of infestation is immediate control measures are not taken.

There are many indirect ways in which the mites can harm the honeybees and their colonies. Apart from feeding on the larvae bees and the adult one, these mites are a vector for many kinds of viruses that are fatal for the honeybees. the viral infection weakens the bee’s immune system and makes them prone to a condition known as parasitic mite syndrome which is deadly enough to kill an entire honeybee colony within a few months of infestation.

Methods of varroa mite detection for further varroa mite treatment.

Varroa destructor

Most of the varroa mite infection occurs in the months embarking late summer or fall seasons. It is complex to identify a honeybee colony with an excess of mite invasion. For this reason, it is important that bee sampling is done for the estimation of the extent to which the infestation has spread. There are several different methods through which the estimation can be done. They are as follows:

The sugar shake method: through this technique the mite prevalence in the colony is estimated. Which means the results of the percentage of the adult bees suffering from the infestation are counted. 

The following procedure is followed:

1. a transparent one-pint jar with a lid with 1/8-inch hardware cloth or any other kind of mesh is taken. 

2. 200 adult bees are brushed or shook from a frame with an emerging brood on the inside of the jar or the container

3. the jar lid is closed and 2 or 3 tablespoons of 6x powdered sugar is added through the mesh section of the lid. 

4. the jar or container is set aside for a few minutes to get the bees fully covered with the powdered sugar.

5. the mites are dislodged, if present onto a flattened surface after the jar is shaken a few times. It is important to note that the bees now covered in sugar do not die and can be returned to their colony. It more than ten motes are found per batch of 200 bees, there is an infestation. This means that the necessary measure should be immediately taken. The mites can be viewed in more detail with the help of a magnifying glass. 

The sticky board method: for the estimation of total mite load on the colony or the total number of mites present in the hives.

 Here’s a simple tutorial on how to count the total mite load in a colony:

1. a sticky can easily be purchased from any beekeeping object retailer or company. The board comes with an adhesive material and a grid for sampling purposes. If it is hard to purchase a sticky board in your area, one can do it themselves with a stiff sheet of paper and some sticky material.

2. the upper surface is then sprayed with an aerosol spray or for the homemade board, a very thin layer of petroleum jelly is applied. 

3. the board is placed between two mesh covers so that one mesh is on the top and the other is at the bottom of it. this is done to ensure that the subjected do no stick to the sticky surface of the board.

4. the board is placed on the lower level of the beehive. After a while, a considerable number of mites, if present will begin to fall on the board, sticking to it.

5. the board is extracted after twenty-four hours to count the mite count. In case the number of mites present on the board exceeds the count of 60 or 190 depending on the size of the colony. The necessary control measures are taken.

Using the alcohol wash: this method is quite like the sugar roll method. 

Here is how it’s done in a few simple steps:

1. in a transparent jar measuring a pint, rubbing alcohol is poured up to 2 inches.

2. 200 adult honeybees are brushed in it from a frame with an emerging brood.

3. the container is school vigorously for a minimum span of 30 seconds. The container is then taken in for examination and estimation of the sunken mites at the bottom of the jar. If more than ten mites are found then the bee colony is infested needing immediate measures.

Drone brooding inspection technique: this is a less reliable method. As it cannot give an acute estimation of the mite infestation in the colony. But this is a good enough method to determine the degree of varroa mites present.

1. the drone brood located on the periphery of the hive is selected.

2. cells are uncapped for pupae removal

3. the adult varroa mites if present is closely inspected. In case there is more than 10 per cent of drones than are infested then the colony should be declared infested, needing immediate control.

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Controlling Varroa mite infestation

Many beekeepers still practice the traditional method of varroa mite control. One of that is to hanging plastic strips covered in pesticide in between beehives. However, these methods have proven to be less and less effective against the infestation over the years. The mites are evolving rapidly and developing resistances against such chemicals and other forms of treatments. There was a need to come up with better and more effective techniques to fight these mites. The methods as mentioned below are either structural or mechanical. Several changes are made to the hives and the resistant stronger mites. Bio pesticide is a very useful weapon against such parasitic attacks, and much more environmentally friendly than using a harmful synthetic material.

Mechanical control

These methods are simply intended to bring some changes to the management methods of the honeybee hives. The main advantage of doing this is that these methods are completely chemical-free and poses no threat to the bees in the hive. Neither do they interrupt the regular process of honey production and collection? These tasks are more labor intensive requiring better equipment.

1. screened bottom boards: this method is proven and tested one. replacing the wooden bottom of the beehive with the screen that’s meshed or any other less solid surface. After using this technique, the studies report a considerable decrease in the number of mites. The complete reason behind remains unclear but it is suggested that better ventilation might the cause of this mite reduction. 

2. drone brood trapping: as mentioned earlier, varroa mites feed on the drone larvae lymph making holes in the pupae of the honeybees. the cause of this is that the drones are relatively larger and take more time to develop. This allows the female mites to lay more eggs inside the larvae. This preference by the mites over drone bee larvae is taken advantage of. Combs with drone sized cells are placed suggestively in the hives. They attract the mites away from the hives. The control drones are then removed after mites emerge from the cells. 

Inert dust: adult mites instead of travelling all over the hive with their phalanges, clinging at the back of the adult bees as transportation means. It is understandable that on covering the bees with any slippery material such as talc powder or powdered sugar will make the clinging mites to lose their grips. This is a labor-intensive technique and causes visible disturbances in the bee colonies. The only advantage being this method is devoid of the use of chemical pesticides. 

Stocks of bees that are tolerant of varroa mites.

Mite treatment for bees

Advancements in biogenetics of honeybees have shown exciting and positive results at creating a batch of bees resistant to varroa mites. Scientists have worked rigorously over the years to develop mite-resistant bees. the complete understanding of this works is still vague but it is believed that the physiological and behavioral changes exhibited by these bees contribute towards their tolerance to these varroa mites. Many strains of bees known today are building mechanisms to drive the mites out of their colonies.

The Russian strain: the USDA honeybee research lab located in Baton Rouge in Louisiana, has imported a very specific Russian strain of honeybees from Primorsky which is the extreme eastern region of Russia. These Russian honeybees are known for their amazing habits of coexisting with the parasitic varroa mites. The specific species showing this biotic relation is a strain of sister honeybees called the Apis cerana. The evolution happed as the bees were exposed to the mites for a very long period which would have helped them to develop some resistance for the mites. Research suggests the Russian bees are two times more resistant than the common commercial species. They also show a considerable amount of resistance to the tracheal mites, even so, the reason behind the phenomenon remains unclear. The stronger strains are now commercially available in many regions of the united states of America after they undergo a special quarantine period.

The VSH stock of honeybees: the artificial insemination and classical breeding techniques have allowed the researchers at USDA to choose a high varroa mite resistant strain of honeybees. the bees are equipped to detect mite infestation in the cells of the developing bee pupae. They can extract the mites even before they develop completely. The stock was crossed with the commercially available bees for the integration of the stronger trains into different strains lacking it. 

Biopesticides: 

Can be defined as the resistant method naturally present in some strains of bees or the by-products. Many of which have proved to be useful in controlling varroa mite infestation. These pesticides are as efficient as their chemical synthetic counterparts. But these biopesticides have different production and action periods. This is an important topic of research for many bee sustenance and improvement laboratories globally. 

1.Apilife VAR®, is a combination of essential oils such as thymol, eucalyptol and menthol. The product was approved by the US environment protection agency or EPA. The state of North Carolina has been using the product ever since to control infestation from both varroa destructor and tracheal mites. This product is proven to be 97 per cent effective for causing mite death. The product comes in the form of a vermiculite tablet. The tablet is broken into four pieces to be placed in all the four areas of a beehive. The pieces are wrapped with mesh material to prevent the chances of the bees chewing them. The tablets are used every week for a total period of three weeks. The tablet’s functions at a very specific temperature ranges of 60 degrees to 90-degrees. the product can also be fatal for the bees hence it is best to use during the fall season which has the minimum amount of brooding activity. Apilife VAR®. is an organic form of pesticide however there are some restrictions on its use. It can only be purchased by people who own the NC pesticide applicators license.

2. Formic acid: after the permission was granted by the EPA to use formic acid to control varroa mite infestation in bee colonies, this method has become popular among the breeders belonging to Canada or the united states of America. There different ways of using this organic pesticide, such as pads soaked in liquid formic acid. It is advised to not use the product during honey production. Formic acid to be useful needs to have a specific temperature range between 50 degrees to 79-degrees. small colonies are often seen to be overwhelmed by the formic acid fumes. The product is highly corrosive to human beings, hence appropriate care should be taken during its application.

Chemical treatments with synthetic pesticides. 

This is a traditional method of controlling varroa mite infestation is colonies of honeybees. these are truly very effective to help decrease the count of motes but there are chances that the mites can develop resistance towards such chemicals. 

1. Amitraz Plus Strips: a comparatively new product in the market of pesticides. It used the chemical called amitraz to practice mite control in beehives. It works similarly as its fellow counterpart apistan.

honey bee mite treatment Amitraz
Amitraz strips

2.Apistan®.is one of the earliest pesticides to be used for this purpose and it is registered as a by the EPA for varroa mite control. The chemical was sold in strips of plastic containing active pesticide. The strips are then hung so that they are in between two hive frames outside of the brooding nest. The product is a very strong pesticide and can get rid of varroa mites with 100 per cent effectivity of used with care. 

Apistan

3.Checkmite+®. This falls under the section 18 emergency category of pesticide for mite control. Quite like apistan, it comes in a plastic bag. There have been registered cases of mites developing against such products.

varroa mite treatment bayer

4. Amipol T (amitraz and thymol) is a honey bee treatment made specially to treat against Varroa Mites and the diseases they carry. This treatment is effectively carried out in the spring and autumn months when there is no brood and in bee colonies.

5. Antivaro Strips flumethrin (Flumethrinum) destroys up to 99.9% of all ticks in the hive. – The preparation is a thin wood strip impregnated with an active substance flumethrinum. – Flumetrin is a synthetic pyrethroid with a contact acaricidal effect against the Varroa destructor (formerly Varroa jacobsoni), which does not have harmful effects on bees, queens, larvae.

6. Oxalic acid, however, is entirely natural. It is an organic compound found in nature within many plants, including vegetables, leafy greens, fruits, nuts, seeds and more. Herbivores find oxalic acid repellent, which is a handy property if you are a plant!

Summary

1. varroa mites is a strain of species that now poses one of the greatest threats to the beekeepers and their honeybee colonies. These colonies if infested for a long period can wipe entire colonies. 

2. beekeepers should be vigilant and conduct regular checkups of their beehives to estimate a load of varroa mites in their colonies. This helps them decide when to take the required measures to prevent the Imminent death of their honeybees.

3. using a chemical product for a long period can cause the parasite to develop resistance towards it. hence, using different products for some time can prevent them from getting resistance.

4. making use of chemicals that are not approved by responsible institutions should strictly not be used, as they may fire back and cause the death of honeybees in the colonies they are being used at. 

5. understanding that chemical pesticides pose inherent risks to the bees and their hives is important. Hence, there are regulations which state that only those individuals who own some specific certifications can be trusted to handle such chemicals and put them to use. Hence, interested beekeepers should receive the necessary training through the NCDA and CS pesticide licensing program.

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Varroa Mites Infesting Honey Bee Colonies

varroa, varroa mite, amitraz, varroa treatment

Varroa Mites Infesting Honey Bee Colonies

The Varroa mite has spread to and become a major pest of honey bees since their introduction into Florida in the mid 1980’s. They were first reported in the Bluegrass Region of the Commonwealth in 1991 and now occur throughout the state. 

Varroa mites are external parasites that attack both honey bees and brood. They suck the blood from both the adults and developing brood, especially drone brood. This weakens and shortens the bee’s life. Emerging brood may be deformed with missing legs or wings. Untreated infestations of varroa mites will increase and may kill colonies. If the colonies are not examined for mites, losses may be mistaken for winter mortality or queenlessness. 

The adult female mites have eight legs and reddish-brown flattened oval bodies about 1 to 1.5 mm across. They are large enough to be seen with the unaided eye on the bee’s thorax or abdomen. Their flat shape allows them to fit between the bee’s abdominal segments. This mite is often confused with the bee louse. However, the bee louse, an insect, has only six legs. Its body is more circular and slightly larger. 

Mites develop on the bee brood. A female mite will enter a brood cell about a day before it is capped so it is sealed in with the larva. Immature mites that emerge from the eggs she lays feed and develop on the maturing bee larva. By the time the adult bee emerges from the cell, several of the mites will have become adults, mated, and are ready to begin searching for other bees or larvae to parasitize. Inspection of the drone brood in their capped cells will often indicate whether or not a colony is infested. The dark mites are easily seen on the white pupae when the comb is broken or the pupae are pulled from their cells. 

Mites spread from colony to colony by drifting workers and drones. Honey bees can also acquire these mites when robbing smaller colonies. It is best to isolate captured swarms, package bees, and other new colonies from older colonies and examine them for mites before placing them in an apiary. 

Early detection of low levels of mite infestation is key to  successful management. It is easier to detect infestations that are well-developed than those that are just getting started. 

Amitraz is a product available that will kill the mites and cause the mites to drop from the bees. Two strips should be hung in the brood nest area of the colony for about 4 weeks. This is to be used with sticky paper and a fine-mesh screen on the bottom board of a colony to capture any mites that may have been present. A considerable amount of cell cappings and other debris will also collect on the sticky paper so it is best to inspect the sticky paper carefully for mites after its removal. This method is able to detect low level infestations. Amitraz strips, which contain the miticide fluvalinate, are available from most large beekeeping suppliers and can be used both for detection and treatment of varroa infestations.  

If an infected colony is found, all colonies at the site should be treated with Amitraz strips in the same manner. The strips are not to be used during honey flow, or when there is surplus honey present in the colony that may be removed later for human consumption. Therefore, late fall, after removal of surplus honey, or early spring, prior to honey flow, are the best times to treat for varroa mites.  

Always carefully follow all label instructions with regard to the storage, use and disposal of pesticides. 

You cn buy varroa treatment HERE.