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 ninth 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 educators, apiary inspectors, and federal regulators collaborated to bring the guide up-to-date with the latest changes in best practices and treatment options. The ninth edition has been completely revised to reflect the most current scientific understanding of varroa biology, monitoring methods, and control strategies available to beekeepers. The guide details new information on varroa control products, including new products that have been approved for release since the eigth edition was released in 2022.
Varroa mites represent one of the greatest threats to honey bee health, honey production, and pollination services. Untreated or ineffectively treated colonies can die, 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 for their operation.
Tools for Varroa Management Guide
About the Honey Bee Health Coalition
The Honey Bee Health Coalition brings together beekeepers, growers, researchers, government agencies, agribusinesses, conservation groups, manufacturers, brands and other key partners to improve the health of honey bees and other pollinators. Its mission is to collaboratively implement solutions that help achieve a healthy population of honey bees while also supporting populations of native and managed pollinators in the context of productive agricultural systems and thriving ecosystems. The Coalition focuses on accelerating the collective impact of efforts in four key areas: forage and nutrition; hive management; crop pest management; and communications, outreach and education.
The Honey Bee Health Coalition is a project of the Keystone Policy Center, a nationally recognized nonprofit that brings together diverse stakeholders to find collaborative, actionable solutions to public policy challenges.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to the Honey Bee Health Coalition for contributing language for this article.
Ana Heck from Michigan State University Extension serves on Honey Bee Health Coalition’s Steering Committee and served on the committee to update the Tools for Varroa Management Guide.
