Each time I think I’ve written my very last post on varroa, something else comes up. This time, it was a question about how to treat for mites now that we know mites eat fat bodies instead of hemolymph. Based on what I’ve read, I would say that if you are following current best practices […] Read more
Here is an unusual sight, one I’ve never seen before. This virgin queen, with severely deformed wings, was spotted by beekeeper James Burge in Santa Barbara, California. James explained that he was doing a trap-out for a friend. He used brood, eggs, and worker bees from another hive in the trap box so the bees […] Read more
When you find circles of honey bees head-down in cells, does that mean they starved? Were head-down bees licking the bottom of the cells to get every last morsel of honey? A reader raised these questions a few weeks ago. Since then, I’ve asked many established beekeepers for their thoughts and observations. To my surprise, […] Read more
“If one more speaker starts yapping about Varroa mites, I’m gettin’ up and walkin’ out!” The grumbler sitting next to me in the audience didn’t know me and didn’t know I was the next speaker. And yap I did. My topic? Deformed wing virus. Honestly, I can’t blame the guy for feeling that way. I […] Read more
You went into autumn with an exuberant and populous hive. You weren’t worried about them because they had a first-year queen and loads of honey and pollen. You counted your mite drop and it seemed okay—you saw a few mites but not many—so you dusted the bees with powdered sugar just to be on the […] Read more
Rebecca Wilson, a beekeeper in southwestern Florida, sent me this photo of a honey bee crippled with deformed wing virus (DWV) and saddled with two Varroa mites. There were actually three mites to start with, but one fell off before she got a photo. I think the scene is heartbreaking and morbidly fascinating at the […] Read more
It’s been over a year since I last treated for mites. However, due to a recent increase in deformed wing virus, I decided to treat for mites before winter sets in. I prefer winter bees (those that live many months cooped up in the hive) that have not been directly exposed to any mite treatment. […] Read more