Varroa Mites Sharon Dobesh KSU Plant Pathology Department KSU Entomology (Ancillary Faculty) Konza Beekeepers Association August 11, 2015
History Varroa Mite Found in US in 1987 First notice when colonies transported from Florida to Wisconsin failed first record Florida likely initial introduction Spot check found varroa in over a dozen states Spread rapidly throughout US in packages and hive movement Associated with transmitting over 20 viruses Blamed largely for the disappearance of feral bees in 1980s-1990s
Biology (Life Cycle)
Two Life Stages - Phoretic Phoretic Mature varroa is attached to an adult bee and survives on the bee s hemolymph (blood) Mites may change hosts often Picks up and transmits diseases Falls off due to old age natural mite drop Being bitten/bee grooming Only females survive outside the cells in the phoretic stage
Two Life Stages - Reproductive Reproductive Begins when an adult female is ready to lay eggs Moves into the cell of developing bee larva Lays 1 male (unfertilized) egg and 4-6 female (fertilized) eggs Females live 2-3 months in the summer, 5-8 months in the fall Each female produces 1.2 viable mature female offspring per worker cell invaded. They produce 2.2 per cell on drone brood, but the time takes a little longer.
Mites Some will be nearly invisible to the naked eye
CCD Link Believed to be a combination of 2 or more of the following: Pesticides Pests (mites, viruses, nosema, etc.) Nutritional deficiencies Tends to be more prevalent in Commercial operations
Diseases Carried/Discovered Since 2009 USDA has taken samples from 27 states. The most prevalent viruses include: Black Queen Cell Virus (85%) Deformed Wing Virus (80%) Lake Sinai Virus 2 (20%) Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (18%) Kashmir Bee Virus (15%) Israel(i) Acute Paralysis Virus (10%) Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (8%) Slow Bee Paralysis Virus (2%) Sac Brood
Monitoring Powdered Sugar Roll 300 adult bees, 1 ½ tsp. powdered Sugar >0.12 mites/bee = treat before winter >0.25 mites/bee = perish over winter Ether Roll/Alcohol wash Sticky Board Install sticky board for 24 hours Use natural drop when brood is present Can use accelerators (mitecides) Brood sampling with a cappings fork
When to treat When honey supers are in place, use the following guidelines:
IPM Controls Screened Bottom Boards Sticky Boards Drone Frame
Screened Bottom Boards Can use for year-round ventilation and mite drop Non-chemical Adds more benefits than mite control
Sticky Boards Use for counts, can use with accelerators or natural drop Can be homemade with shortening or petroleum jelly to make them reusable
Drone Frames Comes in Medium and Deep frame sizes Drone only sized cells Can freeze and reuse Be sure to dispose of brood and wax not on the ground around hives
Trap Frames Can use a modified frame Scientificbeekeeping.com 2 ½ of foundation/modified top bar under Oliver Drone Trap Frame Foundationless frame will also produce drone brood
Chemical Controls Dadant 2014 Catalog
Apiguard 25% Thymol (soft chemical) Should be applied in the fall Temps 60-105 F 2 Treatments: 1 st : 12-14 days 2 nd : 2-4 weeks
ApiLife Var 74% Thymol with other natural oils (soft chemical) Treat with a wafer every 7-10 days three times to complete treatment Most effective at daytime temps of 65 F
Mite Away Quick Strips Formic Acid (soft chemical) Tricky to administer Caustic Lay strips across frames for 7 days with daytime temps of 50-92 F (BMBF)/ 50-84 F (ML)* *Read Labels!
HopGuard 16% Potassium Salt of hop beta acids (soft chem) KS Section 18 http://agriculture.ks.gov/divisions-programs/pesticidefertilizer/pesticide-product KDA needs Section 18 inspections Contact Judy Glass judy.glass@kda.ks.gov
Oxalic Acid 100% Oxalic Acid Dihydrate (soft chemical) Only available from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm Treat when little/no brood is present Spring/Fall Label has 3 treatment methods MUST follow label directions exactly
Apivar Amitraz (hard chemical) Normally used for fall treatment Leave on hive 42-70 days Works by contact only Cannot be used with honey supers on
Apistan 10% Fluvalinate (hard chemical) Resistance does exist to Apistan less than CheckMite + Treat for 42-65 days Temps above 50 F Spring or fall treatment
CheckMite+ 10% Coumaphos (hard chemical) Is approved for sale in Kansas Resistance exists in some colonies In some states resistance is prevalent, so sales is prohibited AZ, CA, CO, NC require a Pesticide License Number before purchase
Determining Resistance Fact Sheet from Dr. J. Pettis (handout) http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/apiculture/factsheets/2 23_pettistest.htm
Drift Watch Free online registrations Protect your hives Renews annually
DriftWatch for Beekeepers
Advantanges to Registering Open Communication with pesticide applicators of your hive locations You don t have to do anything, but register your site
Concern about registering Everyone will know where my hives are Theft Vandalism Etc.
Additional Option Sensitive Crop Grown Here Available at the KSU Bookstore http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/bookstore/item.aspx?catid =298&pubId=1729 Product #S151 $21.10 if you pick them up at Umberger Hall Downloadable PDF available - Free
Upgrades to driftwatch Register online Update your own listings online One profile for all site listings Beekeepers have their own listings that are distinctively marked No longer need paper signature on file And others..
Things that are the same Crops need to be grown for sale to be listed Producers (Beekeepers) need to keep their own sites/records updated Communication to applicators
Difference No Contact Me section Under the sensitive crops site producers could indicate if they wanted an applicator to contact them if there were going to be spraying in an area. This allowed growers/beekeepers to take actions such as closing hives on day of spray/covering sensitive crops, closing greenhouses, etc.
Another Difference This is a 2-step system 1. Create an Account 2. Submit/Register your site Let s get started.
Kansas Department of Agriculture http://agriculture.ks.gov/ Choose Pesticide & Fertilizer Program from the drop-down menu
KDA Divisions & Programs Pesticide and Fertilizer Program
Driftwatch https://driftwatch.org/
DriftWatch Sign Up Step 1-Create an Account
Pay Attention to this e-mail
Check your E-mail
Verified e-mail
Go To My Location This maps you to where your computer location is. My home looks like the following slide, you may need to tell the computer where to go by entering the address.
Once approved you will also receive a confirmation e-mail.
Mapping Sites There are options to draw your own maps for sites, especially fields for cropping systems. You can submit several sites/maps, they do not need to be combined into one. Start/Stop dates allow you to enter all sites during the year in one setting at the computer. All this can be done under one account
Manhattan, KS These 7 marked sites represent only 2 beekeepers
Problems Logan Brown -Primary Contact is here in Kansas! *passwords *new sites/maps *account issues *any others? *No need to contact Purdue
Kansas Driftwatch Contact Logan Brown Kansas Department of Agriculture 1320 Research Park Drive Manhattan, KS 66502 Phone: 785-564-6688 E-mail: logan.brown@kda.ka.gov
Photo Credits www.dadant.com www.brushymountainbeefarm.com www.mannlakeltd.com Scientificbeekeeping.com Driftwatch.com Agriculture.ks.gov extension.org
Any Questions? Thank you for your attention! For questions contact me at: Sharon Dobesh 785-532-1340