Varro-ly, Varro-ly, They Say Unto Me: Your Bees Have Bugs

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

So, the seasoned beekeepers tell me my bugs have bugs. Or, if they don't, they will. There's just no evading it.  

What!

And, they say, the best I can do -- the best any beekeeper can do -- is work to minimize the Varro Mite population in the hive. We can never eliminate them 100 percent, unless, of course, our hive dies. In that case, so do the Varro Mites.

An experienced beekeeper named Stacey shared all sorts mitey facts and mite management advice during the July  Mid-State Beekeepers Association Meeting (Held on the first Tuesday of evey month in the town of Lexington, SC.)  

Mite-y Force Of Destruction

The facts: A Varro Mite is a parasite and the honey bee is its host.  These pesky fleck-sized critters first lived on the hides of Asian bees, but in 1987 (that's when beekeepers here first noticed them) found their way to the United States and on to the bee population here.  Beekeepers have been managing to minimize them ever since. 

Varro Mites spread disease, cause the bees to be deformed and generally weaken the hive.  Untreated, they can overrun a hive and kill it. 

They feed on the larvae.  They especially like the drones cells because the drones have the longest gestation period, and therefore, provide the longest stretches of protection and feed for the Varro Mites. (What I wonder is whether the Mother Mites know which cells are drone cells or whether they just drop eggs everywhere, randomly, and fare the best in the drone cells because those cells are closed up the longest?)

So how will I know if my hive has too many Varro Mites? 

Two schools of thought on this. One is to test, test and re-test using one of several methods. One: use sticky paper and counting the mites that fall off the bees to the bottom of the hive.  When the number of mites that drop off reach a certain threshold, it's time to take action.  Two: scrape open some of the larvae cells to visually inspect for mites. And, three: scoop up some bees in a jar, cover with a wire mesh top, sprinkle with powered sugar, shake vigorously, and then shake off the sugar onto a paperplate or other surface.  Mites will fall out with the sugar.

The other method is to assume that the mites are there and use an organic treatment. My beekeeping friends in the upstate of South Carolina prescribe to this method.  Their recommended treatment: feed the bees a crisco and powered sugar patty.  Apparently, the sugar makes the bees clean themselves and the crisco makes them slick, so the mites slough off.

Of course, beyond the organic method, beekeepers can also resort to light pesticides and/or heavy pesticides.

As for me, well, I'm inclined to assume my hive has - or will have - mites and to start with the organic approach.

So, where's that crisco?