1. Tupelo Bee Keepers Association
Nosema and Varroa

2. Tupelo Bee Keepers Association
Nosema
IFAS Extension video
Skipping diagnoses on video

3. Tupelo Bee Keepers Association
Nosema Over view
Symptoms
Bees on Ground
K-wing
Fecal staining on colony front
Generally seen late fall or early spring
4. Test to be sure
Collect from front of hive or peripheral of frames
You want older bees
Control
Fumagilin-B, mixed with sugar water
Tea Tree Oil emulsified and mixed with sugar water.

4. Tupelo Bee Keepers Association
Varrroa Mite
IFAS Extension video

5. Tupelo Bee Keepers Association
Varroa Mite Over view
Symptoms
Dead Bees
K-wing or deformed wings
See mites on thorax, abdomen or between bee plates
Use scrapper to check for mites in cells
Sticky screens – leave for three days, 180 on screen = 3,000 in hive
Ether roll (kills bees) , 300 bees in a jar, (9-12 fall)(3 Spring) on jar
Powdered sugar roll – 300 bees in a jar, (9-12 fall) )(3 Spring) on paper

6. Tupelo Bee Keepers Association
Varroa Mite Over view
Control
Use Integrated Pest Management – use a number of non-chemical controls to keep population under control. Use chemicals only after those controls fail.
Cultural mechanical control
Screen bottom boards – 15% reduction
Drone brood trapping ( drone broad foundation)
Genetic control
Minnesota Hygienic Queen
Russian Queen
VSH Queen (Varroa sensitive hygiene)

7. Tupelo Bee Keepers Association
Varroa Mite Over view
Chemical control
Apistan – active ingredient Fluvalinate – bad for bees
Check Mite – active ingredient Couraphos – bad for bees
API LIFE VAR – several natural ingredients
APIGUARD – active ingredient Thymal
Formic Acid
Non-chemical control
Winter green essence of oil in sugar water – stops mites from reproducing
Mineral oil with drops of Winter Green use in a fogger – kills mites in contact
Oxalic Acid (approved by the EPA in March 2015 under section 3 of FIFRA (Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act)
Walnut shavings
Oregano, Thyme in powdered sugar

8. Varroa Mite Life cycle