Located in Fresno, CA. USA           

Honeybee management is available to the public through the year. The management of honeybees is a key factor in how successful a honeybee program can be.

Mite Control is an important part of the beekeeping industry. With the proper integrated pest management program in place, bees will winter better and be more ready for spring pollination tasks. There are many new and old treatments for mite control. Some of which are related to the Varroa Mite (Varroa Destructor) and some are related to the small mite (Acarapis Woodi) or better known as the Tracheal Mite.  Most beekeepers use the visual observation method to detect mite infestation. When hives of double deep boxes are broken apart there is a bee space that bees raise drone brood in. As a beekeeper works his hives he gets a look at drone brood (the preferred habitat by varroa is drone brood) which he dissects with his hive tool. As he scrapes off this material he can see larva in all stages of development. If varroa is visible it is time to treat. The picture below is of a bee with varroa mites on it. The picture on the right is of a Tracheal Mite at about 1000 resolution.

Varroa Mite            Tracheal Mite

Not all of these methods below are needed to be done each year but some of these will have to be done during the year. Some of these treatments can be combined on a single visit.  A rotation from year to year that changes what materials are used is advisable. The controls for varroa are many. Here are a few of them.

Another way to control varroa is to take drone brood away on a regular basis. These frames of drone brood will contain most of the varroa in the colony that are in the larva or pupa stage. Removal of drone brood in a cycle of less than 25 days (drone cycle is 25 days) is optimal in timing. This method is to be used as part of a management strategy and not as a single control of varroa. The frames that will be pulled are green in color and easily identified. Once they are drawn out by the bees and filled with brood they must be placed in a freezer for enough time to kill the varroa. (32 f will kill varroa in 1 week easily) Freezing kills varroa and the drone brood. The bees that were on the green frame were shaken off of the frame when it was taken out of the hive. By keeping these green drone cell frames in a colony, you provide the mite with the preferred habitat and the bees will recycle some of the old frame and reuse part of the drone dead material for food to produce more bees in some cases. In cases where the brood was only larva and not pupa the bees can reuse some of the frozen brood as food. 1.2 visits per month at least for 6 months. Requires a walk in freezer and energy to run it or lots of standard freezers if running 100 hives you have to store 100 frames in a freezer each week. It can be done easily with a single freezer for the sideline beekeeper. For a commercial it involves a walk in box and large utility bill. Per hive cost is approximately the price of the infrastructure and electricity and labor and transportation. I figure this may be the most expensive way to control varroa.

Below are just some of the products beekeepers use during the course of raising honeybees.

Sucrocide

Varroa management and Sucrocide. Sucrocide is one of those new materials. Treatments have to be given in 7 day intervals and require 3 treatments in order to be effective. Cost for this material is about $2.06 per colony for the whole course of treatment not counting labor or transportation. Special equipment of a sprayer and hand boom required. 3 visits!

Apigaurd

Another way to control varroa is by the use of Apigaurd. This is a Thymol Gel that has to be spread on a carrier board and replenished after 14 days.

Apistan

Apistan will control some varroa in some areas. Treatment involves placing strips in the hive bodies (each deep hive body) at a $1.79 per strip but you need 2 strips in each body so you need 4 strips to do the job. You also have to pull the strips out after about 40 to 60 days whatever the label says. Treatment is total after time and kill of varroa will depend on susceptibility of varroa in your area. Cost of treatment is $7.16 plus labor and transportation. 2 visits!

Mite-Away II

Mite-Away II is a presoaked and ready to use Formic Acid packet. This one requires the beekeeper to wear protective breathing apparatus and special handling with rubber gloves. The acid treatment takes a special rim to allow the acid pad more surface area to vaporize efficiently. Day time temperatures in this treatment are critical. Temps must not get below 50 f and above 79 f degrees or the treatment will either be ineffective or could damage the colony if the temperature is too high. Queen loss has been associated with some application methods of this material in the past. A treatment of this kind is $3.50 plus the labor and transportation. The treatment is for so many days then you have to pull this material off. The good part is that this one kills the small tracheal mite as well. 2 visits!

Checkmite

Checkmite Strips for varroa. These strips work in some areas and not in others. The strips are approximately $7.00 per hive body to treat. You must use 2 strips per deep box the label says. Each strip cost is about $3.50. If you have a double deep you would use $14 worth of strips in a single treatment if used according to direction on the label. Removal of the strip after useful treatment period required. Approximately 40 day or so. 2 visits!

Menthol

Menthol for tracheal mites. This product is a natural method of taking care of the smaller mite that is of huge damage to honeybees if not taken care of. The dosage on this control is 50 grams in a paper sack on the top bars of the top hive body. You just leave it there until it is gone. Cost is about $3.50 per treatment. Temperature sensitive as well so must be done above 60 degrees f and below 89 f. Temps over 90 f will cause the bees to stand outside for the day abandoning brood. Timing of the weather is very important for this application.

Checkmite GoldStar

Small Hive Beetle is a pest that is just starting to become common in California. This one can be managed with Checkmite strips or a beetle trap in conjunction with ground spraying of Goldstar to kill the generation that is pupating in the soil. 

Tylan

Tylan is used for prevention of American Foul Brood. This material is to be used with powdered sugar and is recommended to be used every 7 days until you have treated them 3 times. The recommended dosage is a receipt of this pictured 100g bottle mixed to 22 lbs of powdered sugar. Then you give the colony 3 table spoons of this mix on each of 3 visits. Total of 9 tablespoons is a treatment over 21 days for this one. At approximately $.75 per colony for the 21 day treatment it is a real value and is mandatory. This treatment can be used along with strips in the hive or during formic acid treatments. Very easy. 3 visits!

Fumagilin-B

Fumagilin-B is used to fight a internal protozoan called Nosema Apis. This one causes bees to die and be unproductive and struggle along with no apparent reason. This is a microscopic parasite of the digestive tract. This one is feed to the bees in syrup. It is done in the spring and fall if you have it. We all have it in the proper conditions to produce it. The treatment is done all in one feeding of about a gallon of syrup laced with the antibiotic to kill the spores in the gut of the honeybees. It is about $2.25 per colony to treat each season. A good time to combine treatment in the spring would be your dust of tylan above using the liquid feed in a feeder and the dust of tylan on the top bars.