n important first step toward developing a Darwinian perspective on beekeeping is to recognize that honey bees have a stunningly long evolutionary history, evident from the fossil record.
Bees existed long before humans. Therefor examining them in their natural state will gain a better insight into how they might better survive in a managed state
Varroa mites were originally found only in Asia as parasites on the Asian honeybee (Apis cerana). Until recently, all varroa mites were classified as Varroa jacobsoni, a species first characterized in Java in 1904 and later discovered to inhabit much of mainland Asia. Genetic analysis, however, has identified two distinct species in this range. The "new" species, christened Varroa destructor, is endemic to Korea, Japan, and Thailand. Of the two, V. destructor has been definitively identified as the variety involved in current infestations of European honeybees.
The first appearance of varroa mites was in Asia in the early 1960s.
However, there are multiple reports around the world about surviving populations of unmanaged (feral) honey bees that have naturally developed mechanisms to deal with varroa mites. The best known example of mite-surviving colonies in the US are the honey bees from the Arnot Forest, located in upstate New York. This population of 15-20 colonies has remained stable for over four decades, even after the introduction of varroa in the late 80s. The high survival rate of these colonies, in the absence of beekeepers providing mite treatments, raises interesting questions about how these colonies are able to overcome the mite pressure.
Evidence that feral bee colonies have survived the varroa threat through natural selection.
At present, my main research interest is in the area of conservation biology: determining how honey bee colonies living in the wild are able to survive without being treated with pesticides for controlling a deadly ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor. Understanding how feral honey bee accomplish this will help beekeepers develop sustainable, pesticide-free approaches to beekeeping. Preliminary work has shown that there remains a feral population of European honey bees living in the Arnot Forest, Cornell University’s 4200-acre research forest located 15 miles from Ithaca, NY. My work has also revealed that these bees have survived infestations of Varroa mites since at least 2002, that the mite populations in these colonies do not surge to high levels, and that this population of bees is not maintained by immigration of bees from managed (pesticide-treated) colonies living outside the forest. I am currently investigating three possible mechanisms that can explain how the honey bees of the Arnot Forest are able to survive on their own: 1) these bees have evolved means of resistance to the mites, 2) the mites on these bees have evolved low intrinsic rate of reproduction (avirulence), and 3) these bees possess colony-level traits (such as small colony size and frequent swarming) that reduce mite populations.
Study of feral bee colonies that have survived varroa mite infestation through natural selection. Part of a "Darwinian" approach to beekeeping.
Greenbeehives the Victor – Destroys Varroa Destructor<img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-11365" src="https://beekeepclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Greenbeehives-the-Victor-–-Destroys-Varroa-Destructor-206x300.jpg" alt="Best Treatment for Varroa Mites - Greenbeehives the Victor – Destroys Varroa Destructor" width="206" height="300" srcset="https://beekeepclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Greenbeehives-the-Victor-–-Destroys-Varroa-Destructor-206x300.jpg 206w, https://beekeepclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Greenbeehives-the-Victor-–-Destroys-Varroa-Destructor-768x1121.jpg 768w, https://beekeepclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Greenbeehives-the-Victor-–-Destroys-Varroa-Destructor-702x1024.jpg 702w, https://beekeepclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Greenbeehives-the-Victor-–-Destroys-Varroa-Destructor-800x1167.jpg 800w, https://beekeepclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Greenbeehives-the-Victor-–-Destroys-Varroa-Destructor.jpg 1028w" sizes="(max-width: 206px) 100vw, 206px" />Having hesitations to use chemicals to treat varroa mites due to lack of experience? It is okay to feel extra careful with your bees especially if you’re a beginner. It is actually good. Don’t worry, Greenbeehives offers The Victor, a telescoping top heater with thermostat control designed for getting rid of Varroa mites without the need of chemicals. You can buy this product whether as an 8-frame or a 10-frame tool for the same price.This tool is also designed to automatically switch off after three hours. The first use of the Victor guarantees a Varroa mite kill percentage of 80%. A follow up treatment after two weeks will increase the kill rate to 95%. Managing the battery supply is also crucial to the entire process. Treatments done during the cold season requires a larger battery output. To ensure that you’re doing the treatment effectively, always do a mite count before the treatment. This will help you determine if additional treatment is needed.
interesting idea. Seems rather sci-fi using heat rather than chemical. Will have to study further.
Chemical Free Varroa Mite Treatment OptionsIn the category of natural Varroa mite control methods, you have already learned about a few that do not put chemicals to use. Chemical-free treatment options for Varroa mite control aim to produce honey that is pure. Chemicals can remain as residues in honey and beeswax for significantly long periods of time. Beekeepers using chemical free treatment options as part of their integrated pest management system harvest high-quality beehive products. These products easily fetch higher prices in the market, compared to others.There are two highly effective methods of chemical-free treatment for Varroa mites that every beekeeper should know about. The first is the use of essential oils in homemade Varroa mite treatment. This puts to use the mint and thyme essential oils (there are others, but for this article we’ll only focus on those two). The other effective method relies on mechanical mite control. The best is the homemade bee grooming aid.1. Using Mint and Thyme Essential oils<img class="wp-image-13563 alignnone" src="https://beekeepclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/essential-oils-3084912_1920-225x300.jpg" alt="Homemade Varroa Mite Treatment - Essential Oils" width="301" height="400" srcset="https://beekeepclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/essential-oils-3084912_1920-225x300.jpg 225w, https://beekeepclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/essential-oils-3084912_1920-768x1022.jpg 768w, https://beekeepclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/essential-oils-3084912_1920-769x1024.jpg 769w, https://beekeepclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/essential-oils-3084912_1920-450x600.jpg 450w, https://beekeepclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/essential-oils-3084912_1920-800x1065.jpg 800w, https://beekeepclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/essential-oils-3084912_1920.jpg 1127w" sizes="(max-width: 301px) 100vw, 301px" />Mint and thyme essential oils have shown a lot of efficiency in killing Varroa mites. In their pure form, and unmixed with any other chemical, these oils cause mites to fall off honey bees and not climb back. The use of these two essential oils is safe for beekeepers even when they have honey supers on their beehives.Essential oils dissipate quickly from the hive. They do not seep into beeswax or honey. Additionally, essential oils have an effect on thoracic mites. This advantage over many other Varroa mite control methods has led to increased popularity of essential oils among beekeepers. Both professional and beginner beekeepers can use essential oils to control mites in their beehives and apiaries.Applying Essential Oils to your HivesTo apply essential oils as your homemade Varroa mite treatment method, you need a few strips of absorbent material.Soak the material in the essential oil of your choice and leave the strips between your beehive frames.Use enough strips per beehive depending on the number of boxes you have. The strips should remain in the hive for at least 3 days, but not more than a week.Repeat treatment after 3 weeks is great to deal with newly emerged mites. Beekeepers using essential oils for Varroa mite control should have screened bottom boards in their beehives. They allow mites to fall through to the ground and make hive cleaning easier for bees.Passive use of Thyme and Mint Mite TreatmentFor passive use of essential oils to control Varroa mites, you may plant mint or thyme plants near your beehives. With a large apiary, this could be in small regular patches spread out over the entire apiary. Bees will passively come into contact with essential oils of the plants when they are out foraging. It helps to keep the population of mites in your entire apiary constantly low.
interesting ideas for "natural" treatment of mites. I like the idea of planting herbs that mites are adverse to. Not sure of the effacy.
There are also sobering lessons here about the limits and ethics of “sousveillance,” the use of our handheld devices to record from “below.” (This is in contrast to surveillance from on-high, a la CCTV or drones.) In some cases, our use of cellphone cameras has the potential to liberate us when directed at the state, subjecting the powerful and privileged to forms of accountability that they’re not used to. That’s been made plain by the significant role of cellphone video in the movement against police brutality.
Interesting term. And of course there is a useful side (videotaping police brutality. See George Floyd for latest example) and a darker side (government surveillance of individuals or the example of the Plane Bae invasion of privacy lesson)
The voyeuristic nature of all this fascination is disturbing. Technology isn't helping, but it seems to be a strange human foible.
A few individuals have been misidentified in recent weeks, including a professor from Arkansas who was wrongly accused of participating in the neo-Nazi march.
And then the dark side of doxxing. Inaccurate by either design or mistake as later stated in the article "Once identified as a Nazi on the Internet, always a Nazi on the Internet.
Marla Wilson, 35, of San Francisco, said she was appalled when she saw white supremacists marching so brazenly in Charlottesville. Doxxing, she believed, was an effective way to make people think twice about being so bold with their racism.
This seems an effective and ethical use of doxxing in this instance. Someone marching in a rally can hardly claim invasion of privacy and perhaps their hometown folks and employers have a right to know what they do across state on their time off. #weblit #LS121FA
They may be on to something. In fact, in the past months two scientific publications – a large European surveillance study, and an essay in Journal of Economic Entomology – turn the spotlight on bee management, holding handling factors, like the lack of appropriate treatment, largely accountable for the spread of bee mites and diseases.
The theory that treatment free beekeepers are accoutning for varroa spread.
Soft ChemicalsOrganic acids, essential oils, and hop beta acids are considered soft chemicals because they are naturally derived. These treatments are effective without leaving chemical residues in hive products, such as wax. If chemicals are used in the hive, it is recommended to apply soft chemicals first prior to considering the use of hard chemicals. In addition, colonies should be treated only after monitoring efforts have indicated that they are needed.Formic acid. Formic acid occurs naturally in the venom of honey bees and is a natural component of honey. This chemical is commonly used because, at high concentrations, this organic acid penetrates the wax cappings and effectively kills reproducing mites. One limitation is that the use of formic acid is temperature dependent and can cause damage to the colony if used at ambient temperatures higher than 85F because it can increase brood mortality and the potential for queen loss. When used below 50F, formic acid results in low efficacy. Oxalic acid. Oxalic acid is a naturally-occurring compound found in plants, such as rhubarb, kale, beets, and spinach. As a chemical for mite control, oxalic acid can be used in two formulations: vapor and dribble. Because it does not penetrate the cappings, oxalic acid is most effective during broodless periods making it a useful component to an integrated varroa control program as a winter or early spring method. However, it should not be used as a stand-alone treatment. If overused or used at high dosages, oxalic acid can harm bees by crystalizing in the midgut of larvae, increasing larval mortality, and reducing brood area. Overuse of this treatment can also decrease the activity and longevity of workers.Thymol. Essential oils are natural compounds distilled from plants. The most popular essential oil for varroa mite control is thymol (from a thyme plant). While thymol treatment can effectively control mites on adult bees, it cannot penetrate the cell cappings, so does not control mites in brood cells. Efficacy of thymol is dependent on colony strength as well as ambient conditions. During treatment, the workers react by emptying cells near the product so this treatment can reduce the overall area of brood in colonies when applied in the spring. In addition, thymol treatment can induce robbing behavior and increase aggressiveness of colonies. Efficacy of thymol treatment can be low so it should be combined with other treatment methods.Hops beta acids.
Here is a middle ground between the use of man-made chemicals to treat for varroa mite and no treatment at all. Will have to examine these "natural" solutions.
A wild hive found today in a hole at the bottom of a tree. Finding a wild hive could mean saving it from varroa. Listen, look and report!
My approach leans toward not treating and, to me, the idea of seeking out and treating a wild hive is the epitome of humans thinking they understand Nature better than Nature does.
To be clear, there is a law that defines domestic terrorism but not one that charges people who commit acts of terrorism in America. People who conspire with international terrorists—even if they aren’t materially involved in an act of violence—are charged with “acts of terrorism transcending international boundaries.” But someone who sends pipe bombs to Democrats; plows through a crowd of anti-racism protesters in Charlottesville, Va.; or shoots up a church in Charleston, S.C., will not face domestic terrorism charges.
Sounds like the Orwellian doublespeak that has become more prevalent in our Government the past 20 years.
Your two-second “mirror and head-check” here is going to be to always, always hover, and see what they are verified for. In this case the verification means something: this person works for CNBC.com, a legitimate news site, and she covers a relevant beat here (the White House):
I was not familiar with this technique. Useful information (not that I use Twitter for information). The rest of the blog had excellent information on verifying source material.
The season has changed. We’ve moved out of the spring swarm season and are well into summer. The queen is beginning to reduce her egg laying and, as the colonies population declines as we get into fall, the ratio of mites to bees can skyrocket! When it does, there is a very good chance the mites will destroy your colonies. In the north, if you lose your colony in December, it’s almost always due to mites. So what to do?
Perfectbee discusses both sides of the issue. Nearly always revolving around the presence of the varroa mite
What I'm trying to do here is not tell you how things must be done, but to show you how I know for a fact can be done successfully. It is my goal over time to try out as many differing methods as possible and to write about them for you. I have been keeping bees totally treatment free for 15 years, and I don't mean to be glib, but it's really easy once you get into it. So I'm here to teach other people how to do it too, not only because it's more fun than worrying about bees dying and having to treat them, but also because so many people want to do this and have so few teachers.
Parker is a major proponent of treatment free beekeeping