New edition of Tools for Varroa Management from the Honey Bee Health Coalition
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EmailThe new edition includes extensive revisions, treatment tables, and updates for beekeepers to manage Varroa mites.
The Honey Bee Health Coalition recently unveiled the 8th edition of the "Tools for Varroa Management Guide". The guide provides information on the latest tools and options for beekeepers in the United States and Canada to keep bees healthy and manage varroa mites, which spread disease within and among honey bee colonies.
An expert team of beekeepers, entomologists, extension agents, apiary inspectors, and federal regulators spent more than six months editing the document to bring it up-to-date with changes in best practices and treatment options. The guide details new information on varroa control products including new products that have been approved for release since the 7th edition was released in 2018.
Varroa mites represent one of the greatest threats to honey bee health, honey production, and pollination services. Untreated or ineffectively treated colonies can fail, causing economic losses to beekeepers, potentially impacting agricultural food production. Colonies infested with varroa are also a potential source of mites and diseases that can spread to other colonies and apiaries.
Effective varroa control will reduce colony losses and avoid potential spread of infectious disease among honey bee colonies. The "Tools for Varroa Management Guide" explains practical, effective methods that beekeepers can employ to measure varroa infestations in their hives and select appropriate control methods.
Beekeepers can visit Michigan State University's Keep Bees Alive webpage for information and resources on understanding, monitoring, and managing varroa mites in honey bee colonies.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to the Honey Bee Health Coalition for contributing language for this article.
This work is supported by the Crop Protection and Pest Management Program [grant no 2021-70006-35450] from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
