1. Integrated Pest Management
For Beekeepers
Lynn Williams

2. Meet Our Enemy
VARROA DESTRUCTOR

3. Varroa Mites travel on
the Bee

4. Varroa Mites Scientific name  Varroa destructor
Originally a pest of Asian honey bee
Introduced to United States in 1987
In all beekeeping countries except Australia
Parasitizes larva and adult bees
Vector for many diseases

5. CAN BE SEEN WITH THE NAKED EYE NEW MITES ARE CLEAR TO TAN OLDER MITES ARE REDDISH-BROWN BODY MITES LIVE OFF Fatty TISSUE MAKING BEES ANEMIC. INFECT THE BEES WITH VIRUSES SEVERE INFESTATION MITES CAN BE SEEN ON THE BACKS OF BEES .

6. True or False?
Every honey bee colony in the continental United States and Canada either has Varroa mites today or will have them within several months.

7. True
Every honey bee colony in the continental United States and Canada either has Varroa mites today or will have them within several months. Doing nothing about varroa mites is not a practical option for most beekeepers.
We all need to accept the fact that we have an extra member of the family – the Varroa mite – and it’s here to stay.
Honey Bee Health Coalition

8. Life Cycle of the Varroa Mite

9. Successful Varroa control is PROACTIVE
Successful Varroa control is PROACTIVE. We need to control Varroa before the mites reach levels that threaten colony productivity and survival.

10. Four inter-related population phases of honey bee/varroa mite seasonal cycles

11. Phoretic Vs Reproductive
Phoretic Mite Lives Off & Only On Our Honey Bee
Reproductive Mite Resides In The Brood Frames
Alcohol Wash Mite Counts ? Phoretic Mite!!
Randy Oliver Confirms Our Testing That Mite Counts Can Be Greatly Skewed. Am. Bee Journal Dec. 2017
Mite Count 3-5 Safe? Results In Brood Frames
Are 1,000 To 1,500 Varroa Mites Breeding
Result Hive Collapse

12. ? What is a Mite Bomb ? Your Neighboring Bee Keeper
Un-treated or inadequate treated hives will collapse
Your honey bees more than likely will rob your neighbor
BOOM ?

13. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER: LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE !
Varroa life cycle and its relationship to the honey bee life
cycle (including the fact that varroa reproduce only in brood
cells  more brood=more varroa mites)
Because more brood = more mites, varroa populations peak
in Aug.-Oct.
Varroa prefer shade over sunny hive locations
Options for varroa control and how they work
Varroa have adapted well to some treatments
How to evaluate for varroa in a hive
Nancy Ruppert, Apiary Inspector, NC Dept. of Agric. & Consumer Services

14. Clemson University IPM Study https://www. clemson
A. Acceptable pest levels: 
B. Preventive cultural and regulatory practices.
C. Monitoring or scouting practices. 
D. Genetic control. 
E. Physical control. !!
F. Biological control.
G. Chemical control. !!
H. Preventive cultural and regulatory practices

15. IPM: Chemical Control
  Synthetic pesticides played a major role in the management of honey bee pests like varroa mites following their first discovery in the US. Most beekeepers quickly jumped on the pesticide treadmill beginning in the late 1980s and many simply wanted to know when to place the pesticides in the hive and when to remove them, a similar move (calendar based approach) adopted by the agricultural industry following WWII. Some beekeepers elected to illegally use products not labeled for beekeeping pests, such as varroa. Within a few years of repeated use, some beekeepers began to report that products like Apistan ®and Checkmite +® were no longer effective for varroa mite control. by Wm. Michael Hood Dept. of Entomology, Soils, and Plant Sciences Clemson University

16. Oxalic Acid Most Effective When Brood Is Not Present
Dr. Jennifer Berry treatment in August when Mites peak one must Cage Queen & Break the Brood Cycle
Her Study Published In Bee Culture
MSDS Potential Acute Health Effects
Very Hazardous in case of skin contact, eyes, or Inhalation
Severe over exposure can cause lung damage & death
Protective Suit, Gloves, Respirator Required.

17. Jan. 2017 Edition of Bee Culture
Please review Oxalic Acid treatment 9-10 times
Over the year
then also in the fall due to extreme high Varroa Mite count treated with Apiguard & Apivar and a follow up with
Oxalic Acid
The end of 2016 was a 50% loss of hives
Reason a combination that neighboring Apiary’s were not treated properly
This Apiary was Mite Bombed By There Neighbors

18. MiteAway Quick Strip
Apply two strips near edge of brood box for 7 days Temp. Range of F Honey Supers can be on the Hive
MSDS Acute Health Effects Hazardous to Skin, Eyes,& Lungs
Disposable Gloves Required Wash Suit after use.
Prolonged Contact with solid product or Vapor may produce injury to eye cornea, nasal & respiratory tract irritation & skin irritation

19. Apivar (Amitraz) 44-56 day treatment when bees can move freely
No Honey Supers On the Hive
Not Suitable During Honey Flow Supers Can be Installed 2
Weeks After Treatment
MSDS Skin contact & open cuts should not be exposed
Entry into the blood system thru open cuts etc. may have harmful effects.
Long term use and exposure may be harmful to ones lungs function

20. Apistan
Apply strips in brood box for 45 days. No Honey Supers on the Hive. Re-install honey supers after treatment.!!
MSDS Keep out of reach of children. Harmful if absorbed through skin, avoid contact with eyes skin & clothing.
If contact with eyes rinse for minutes, if contact with skin rinse for minutes & call the poison control center or a Doctor
Handle only with Chemical Resistant Gloves

21. Check Mite
Hang two strips in middle of brood box for 45 days. No Honey Supers on the Hive.
Honey Supers can not be installed until two weeks after treatment.
MSDS Inhalation Hazard symptoms of runny nose, eye’s tearing, tightness of chest. If severe symptoms are fatigue, vomiting, convulsions, low blood pressure, cardiac irregularities and coma.
Symptoms may not appear until 12 hours after exposure

22. So what’s a Beekeepers Choices
Risk Exposure to these Highly Toxic Chemicals?
Exposure our Honey Bees to the Same Chemicals?
The Varroa Mite Continues to evolve and build up resistance to these Chemicals.
Is there an Organic Solution
Yes

23. IPM Physical Control No. 6
Physical practices include the use of Heat, cold, light, humidity, carbon dioxide, light, ventilation or sound to control a pest. Most pests have physical limitations that affect their activities or survival. Freezing temperatures are an excellent way of killing or controlling wax moths and small hive beetles in stored drawn comb. Light and ventilation are also recommended for control of wax moths in stored drawn comb. Heat has been shown to affect varroa survival and placement of colonies in sun may aid in control of this pest. Placement of colonies in sun will also create drier soil conditions which disrupt the lifecycle of small hive beetles. by Wm. Michael Hood Dept. of Entomology, Soils, and Plant Sciences Clemson University

24. Temperature
1996 Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Study & USDA
Preformed for 1 year at Apiary’s in Vermont & New Hampshire
Bees where removed and placed in a Hive Box and treated with thermal temperature, the results were 82-98% termination of the Trachea, Jacobson,& Varroa Mite.
The process was very simple but old compared to today’s technology but it worked. You can read the full study at

25. Prof. Bicik & Dr. Roman Linhart Palack Unviersity Czech. Republic
Dr. Linhart upon reviewing Japanese studies of Bees using temperature to terminate Hornets & other Pest’s started working on using temperature to terminate the Varroa Mite
Discovery by raising the temperature in the bee hive to 104F
The Mite is terminated even under a capped brood.
The design was a thermal hive using solar sun light to raise the temperature in the hive.
Testing was done showing results vs Formidol (Formic Acid) &
Varidol (Amitraz) popular products in the European Market.

26. 2015 Last Study Results
Hives in the Spring were treated with Temperature, Formidol, & Varidol.
The Summer treatment showed a high increase in mite counts with the Chemical Products & a very low mite count with the thermal system.
The fall treatment showed the same results as the summer treatment chemicals treatments had only a minor result of terminating the Varroa Mite. Where as Thermal Treatment terminated the Varroa Mite and the reason is it terminates the mite under the capped brood. No chemical products can make this CLAIM.
You can review the study at

27. Dr. Linhart European Product
$ per hive

28. Is There an American Product?
YES
Is there ongoing studies using Temperature?
Yes
Thermal Image of Mites in the Brood Frame
More Studies Scheduled For 2018

29. There IS An Organic Solution

30. Available in: 10 FRAME 8 FRAME
Solution: 104 F – 106 F
Terminates
Varroa Mite Even Under
Capped Brood
Hive Beetles
Organic Solution
Without the use of pesticides
Only three treatments per year
Available in: FRAME FRAME

31. COMPACT DESIGN FOR SLIDE IN & OUT OPERATION
ONE UNIT WILL SERVICE MUTIPLE HIVES
EXTRA INTERNAL SENSORS AVAILABLE WITH QUICK DISCONNECT SO ONE CAN INSTALL ONLY ONCE FOR MUTIPLE HIVES
REQUIRES 120 VOLT AC FOR OPERATION
REMOTE HIVE LOCATIONS REQUIRES A SMALL GENERATOR
REQUIRED POWER IS ONLY 220 WATTS LESS THAN 2 AMPS
UPON REACHING MITE MODE TEMPEATURE IS MAINTAINED AND POWER USAGE IS VERY MINIMUM

32. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY
QUESTIONS ?
Lynn Williams