From the Editor, Jerry Hayes
VARROA CONTROL
QUESTION
Thank you for your Zoom presentation to the Maine Beekeepers Association.
I was going to write this in the chat but opted to email instead… I struggle with the idea of waiting for threshold levels to treat. I am a fanatic about ensuring that my Winter bees are healthy. In Maine, they start emerging in hives the second or third week of August. So if I do my math correctly, 21 days prior to emergence is the end of July when I want my hives pristine for those eggs so that the young larva and pupa are not parasitized by the mites. Year after year, when I sample my hives the end of July I am rolling zero mites. If I wait until end of August or September to reach my threshold, it’s way too late for my Winter bees. So, I treat my hives the last week of July or first of August regardless of what my alcohol washes reveal and have been hugely successful with over wintering colonies.
I find that folks rely too much on threshold numbers, treat far too late in our season and as a result, lose hives. I recognize that we need healthy cluster sizes as well but am fearful that we miss the mark because we aren’t looking at the dynamics of hive make up at critical times of the year when Winter bees need to develop and grow in an environment with minimal threat of having their fat bodies consumed.
When I teach bee school, I constantly refer to and integrate the varroa management decision tool and the handbook into instruction… they are excellent resources!
Thank you again Jerry….
Jane
ANSWER
I would agree with you that Maine seasonality confers differences in Varroa population growth in comparison to other states such as Florida, California, North Dakota or Illinois which all have that longest day/shortest day variability.
All that to say, you are most likely in that 1% range of beekeepers who are actually ‘managing’ using vetted documents, sampling, recording and doing the math. I think I mentioned in my talk that an option to become more accurate and successful in keeping colonies alive is to sample for varroa monthly and keep a record of those numbers to refer to over the next year and the next and the next. It gives the beekeeper a historical record and a potential time frame of the best time to sample/treat/sample again for Varroa control.
For the remaining 99% who do not do what you do there is the HBHC, ‘Tools for Varroa Management Guide’ as a resource to at least get started in becoming a better beekeeper manager rather than the alternative, which is to do nothing, have the colony die and then blame something or someone else for the death, not themselves.
HOW MANY VARROA
SPECIES?
QUESTION
I have been around bees and beekeeping for most of my life, and retired from a long career with USDA-APHIS in 2004. Back then, Varroa mites were referred to in the scientific literature as Varroa jacobsoni. But lately, all I read now is Varroa destructor. Why the name change? Are there two separate species?
Peter C. Witherell
ANSWER
Hey Pete,
More species have been identified. Life finds a way.
- Varroa destructor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varroa_destructor) (Anderson & Trueman, 2000) is a virulent parasite that infests its natural host, Apis cerana (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apis_cerana) (Asian honey bees), on mainland Asia and also Apis mellifera (western honey bee (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_honey_bee)) worldwide.
- Varroa jacobsoni (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varroa_jacobsoni) (Oudemans, 1904) is a relatively benign parasite of Apis cerana.
- Varroa rindereri (de Guzman & Delfinado-Baker, 1996)
- Varroa sinhai (Delfinado & Baker, 1974)
- Varroa wongsirii (Lekprayoon & Tangkanasing, 1991)
APISTAN
QUESTION
Good morning Jerry,
To begin, I am a long time reader of Bee Culture and greatly enjoy the content of the magazine. There is always something I can use in every issue and I gladly promote Bee Culture to all new (and old) beekeepers. There is, however, one advertisement in the most recent edition that has me troubled.
I cannot cite specific studies, however, I have read many opinions stating that mites are developing resistance to Apistan and that Apistan does leave detrimental residues in the wax, which affects the long term health of the developing bee. There are other mite products that may be more appropriate.
On page 17 of the April 2022 edition, there is an ad for Apistan. It includes these:
1. “PROBABLY” the world’s #1 varroa control
2. “ALL NEW* APISTAN”
3. “It’s not the world’s #1 varroa control product by accident”
4. “It is ideal for use in your integrated pest management system”
5. Test results that indicate varroa mortality and efficacy of 84-97.97%
My concerns are the following claims:
1. “ …the world’s #1 varroa control,” is this an accurate statement?
2. The “ALL NEW APISTAN” statement would have one believe the product is “all new.” The asterisk, in their defense, does state that “ONLY THE PACKAGING HAS CHANGED” and that I may be surprised at how effective it is… Maybe “sadly” surprised. This is a poor and misleading advertising technique.
3. The “test” results could lead one to believe that maybe this is a great product.
Jerry, I have been keeping bees long enough and can make my own educated decisions about beekeeping methods and products. After 16 years, I am still making some mistakes but am hopefully learning from them. I will not use Apistan but worry about the new beekeepers who will see this ad and will be swayed by its statements. If nothing else, the “ALL NEW APISTAN” wording is deceptive (even with the asterisk explaining that only the packaging has changed) and is a sad, misleading marketing claim.
I realize ads pay for the production and distribution of this great magazine but this particular ad, in my opinion, is inappropriate and detracts from the quality and credibility of Bee Culture.
Sincerely,
Ray
ANSWER / Jerry Hayes
Hello Ray,
Let’s go right to the top on this one. I have copied the CEO of Vita, Dr. Max Watkins.
Thank you for reaching out.
Jerry
ANSWER / Max Watkins
Dear Ray,
Thanks once again for your comments. As Jerry Hayes can attest, Vita has a very long history of serious research and in managing varroa control worldwide. We have had long experience of and have invested a lot of time in resistance monitoring in many countries, unlike other treatment manufacturers. Vita is well aware of resistance appearing to the pyrethroid active ingredient tau-fluvalinate and of course there are many cases where Apistan is no longer as effective as it once was, if used on its own. This is why, for many, many years we have been recommending to use Apistan as one tool in an Integrated Pest Management approach, and where this has been tried, it can actually work. No snake oil here.
At the same time, there are many areas where varroa resistance to pyrethroids, including tau-fluvalinate has reverted or diminished and it is possible to use pyrethroid based treatments, including Apistan effectively. If you read our literature you will see that we recommend rotating treatment types on a seasonal or regular basis. Resistance is a natural phenomenon and will occur wherever a high selection pressure is applied; it is well documented that if the selection pressure is removed – i.e. if treatment with a particular product is halted for several seasons, it is possible for the pest target to again become susceptible to the treatment.
Where there is still a high degree of resistance, of course beekeepers, rightly, will not wish to use Apistan and where this is known with absolute certainty it is only rational not to use that product. It is such a pity though, that some blogs just rely on borrowed information and throw-away comments, rather than individuals making a decision of their own, based on actual experience. Treatment choice is just that – a choice. Nobody is obliged to buy our products, Apistan included, and Vita certainly doesn’t make beekeepers buy anything. They buy because they have trust in what we do and in the products we provide.
I am sorry you don’t appreciate our ad, which has been running for two years already with no complaints from anyone else. You are entitled to your opinion.
Kind regards,
Max Watkins
Ray / Comment
Hi Max,
I believe you have done extensive research and you rightly stand by your product. I will leave you with these thoughts regarding advertising. Do with them what you will.
1. Your statistics show that Apistan works on non-resistant mites. I believe that. Please continue to research and improve Apistan since some mites are becoming resistant. This is a statement I would offer to any producer/manufacturer (most products can be improved).
2. Some mite treatment products leave lasting residues in the wax which may be detrimental to the overall health of the hive. If Apistan is one of them, please consider how to moderate/eliminate that effect, and, if true, consider including this as a side effect of the use of this product.
3. The misleading statement that says “All New Apistan” really should be removed since it is false advertisement (the asterisk explanation does not negate it). It is not a good joke either. If your product is as good as you say, you do not have to resort to this improper technique. I look forward to the removal of this statement in your future ads. And, I will be the first (and maybe the only) Bee Culture reader to observe and congratulate Vita for this correction. I can also praise as well as criticize. 🙂
Sincerely,
Ray
