Photo: Rusty Halvorson
The Honey Bee Health Coalition released the ninth edition of its popular 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.
“The Varroa Management Guide updated ninth edition will be your most valuable tool to include in the varroa management toolbox,” said Dewey Caron, Emeritus Professor of Entomology & Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, and a principal author of the guide. “It has been completely updated and includes what you need to know in one concise package. It is dedicated to helping improve overwintering success by providing information to flatten the varroa growth curve and reduce bee colony viral epidemics.”
An expert team of beekeepers, entomologists, extension agents, 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.
“There is no greater threat to the average beekeeper’s bees than the varroa mite, and this updated Varroa Guide offers the latest comprehensive education on what these parasites are and how best to fight them,” said Dr. David T. Peck, Director of Research and Education at BetterBee. “Scientists, educators, apiary inspectors, and beekeepers have collaborated together to integrate their expertise and experience into an easy-to-read and easy-to-use guide for any beekeeper.”
“Bringing together such a diverse group of scientists, educators, apiary inspectors, and beekeepers to update this guide was a true team effort,” said Margaret McGuirk, project manager at Keystone Policy Center, the nonprofit organization that facilitates the Honey Bee Health Coalition. “The best solutions emerge when the right people are at the table, and this latest edition of the Tools for Varroa Management Guide is a testament to what that kind of collaboration can achieve.”
Varroa mites represent one of the greatest threats to honey bee health, honey production, and pollination services. Untreated or ineffectively treated colonies can fail, causing economic losses to beekeepers and 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 the 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 the most appropriate control methods for their operation.
The full guide is available free of charge at the Honey Bee Health Coalition’s website: https://
Source: Honey Bee Health Coalition
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