If beekeeping is a game of monopoly do not play the chance card this spring as far as Varroa is concerned. Go directly to the Apistan utility (TREAT WITH APISTAN). Avoid buying shares in the Formic Acid utility in my opinion (mite loads are extremely heavy due to the extremely mild winter we have had). Formic acid treatments may not do a sufficient job. Apistan will deliver a one two knock out blow. Remember its going to be a long time till you do the fall treatment.

From my own experience and discussions with other beekeepers, winter losses are much higher this year. Many people are calling me to tell me they have lost colonies. In the north of the province a sudden minus 30 degree cold snap froze colonies in the centre of the brood nest unable to access honey in the outer frames.

Fourth Wednesday, March 28, 2001 at 7:30pm, at the Quennel School Annex - 420 Selby St., Nanaimo.

Entrance between the two buildings or if late, knock at the top door of the back fire escape stairs

Spring is here! In this issue I have attempted to provide the basics about IPM gleamed from my attendance at the SFU Masters Bee Course. There is much more to know and learn, but I hope this proves helpful. I have focused on Varroa and various controls.

I am now sending the newsletter via email to those members wishing to save us a stamp and envelope. If you would like your newsletter via email, send me a note at jagreid@island.net.

Also, send any articles or stuff you would like included in this newletter. Contact numbers at the end.

Apistan is the synthetic pyrethroid insecticide fluvalinate with an exceptionally large dosage window for mite control without bee death. What this means is that the dosage for killing most of the mites will not kill the bees and that a lot more of the fluvalinate would have to be used before it killed the bees. Other alternative "hard" and "soft" chemical methods for controlling mites do not feature the large dosage difference and a little bit too much will kill your bees along with the mites. This is Apistan's unique advantage and why it should not be overused.

It is important to test before using fluvalinate (Apistan) to ensure the hive is close to a critical level of mite infestation. If the level of mite population is low, use IPM (Integrated Pest Management) to keep the level low, the longer the better. At the SFU Bee Master's Course, we were encouraged to use a "soup" to attack the mites, rather than one method.

Testing for varroa before treatment will help to preserve the use of Apistan for the times it is really essential. Use of other methods will prevent the mites from building up resistance.

There are three methods for testing the level of mites in your hive. Using all three will confirm the level of infestation. In order, they are sticky board, sugar roll and drone comb sampling/trapping.

Sticky boards are used for a 24 hour period (without treatments) to measure the natural mite fall. A sticky board can be purchased or you can use stiff cardboard coated with vegetable oil, covered by a #8 mesh to prevent the bees from walking on the board or cleaning it off.

The number to use for a threshold (point for which treatment is critical) is not absolute due to regional differences in climate etc., however a conservative threshold of 3000 mites in your hive would give you about 50 mites dropping a day. If you wish to be less conservative you may allow 4000 mites in your hive with 100 dropping per day. If your hive seems to be close to these thresholds, use the second testing method to double check levels.

Resent research has shown that the icing sugar roll method is more effective for counting mites on bees than the ether roll method AND the bees can fly away after. Less than half the mites fall off the bees in the ether roll method and about half the mites fall off during the sugar roll method.

Place a tablespoon of icing sugar and a ¼ cup of bees (150-300 young bees from a frame in the centre of a colony's brood nest) into a wide mouth 1 litre jar. Roll and cover the bees with the sugar. Generally if there are 15 or more mites per 100 bees, mite control should be employed, but this threshold has not been experimentally verified.

Drone brood is the preferred breeding ground for varroa. Breaking open the drone brood will confirm if mites are present, but not necessarily in what numbers. However, continuous destruction of drone brood will significantly retard the build up of varroa.

Check for hygienic behaviour and reduce your drone combs and varroa simultaneously. A simple method for identifying hygienic queen stock is in the spring and fall to pin prick 150 drone combs in a circle pattern and see if in 24 hours the colony removes 75% of the dead larva. If so, then repeat the pin prick test to see if it can be done again. It must be done twice to prove the bees "hygienic". Use your hygienic stock to breed new queens.

How to get all those drone combs? Place a short frame into the brood chamber and the bees will build drone comb on the bottom or buy special drone comb imprinted frames.

Continuous use of a modified bottom board will prevent the mites from hitching a ride back up to the brood nest. The bottom board reduces mite levels by 30% to 40%.

The bottom board should have 2" to 3" sides/air space and use #8 – 1/8" mesh. Usually, mites will travel 2"-3" and not much farther. On the bottom they will soon dry up and die. The modified bottom board can test for mite levels and could be designed to include pollen collecting abilities as well.

Drone Brood Trapping can reduce mite populations by 70%. Routine removal of newly capped drone comb and subsequent freezing will interrupt the reproductive cycle of the mites and slow down their population growth. After freezing, the comb can be replaced to the hive to capture more mites.

Depending on application methods and which research you are reading, essential oils can be 70% – 98% effective. Use of essential oils in grease patties and on tracking strips at the bottom entrance will reduce many of the mites on adult bees. However, the oil methods do not enter the larval food chain and therefore do not attack the mites in the brood comb.

The use of syrup with essential oils is a method for attacking the mites in the brood comb. The essential oils do not mix well with water and therefore, the last bit of syrup in the top of a feeder bottle will float pure oil which will kill your bees.

Honey seems to have a natural emulsifier for mixing the essential oils and may reduce the threat of essential oil poisoning.

Here are some recipes from the West Virginia University web site www.wvu.edu/~agexten/varroa:

Other methods to reduce mites are Formic Acid an organic acid found abundantly in nature that can be purchased and used as directed by bee supply outlets. Use of tobacco smoke or powdering your bees with icing sugar in conjunction with sticky or modified bottom boards will knock down a number of mites.

If we can continuously knock down the number of mites in our hives with this "soup" approach, we can ensure that the use of fluvalinate/Apistan is effective when we really need it.

Again another recipe from Beekeeping: An Illustrated Handbook, by Diane G. Stelley, published by Tab Books Inc. of Blue Ridge Summit, PA

Bee's Wax Polish formulated by the Louisiana State University Cooperative Extention Service:

1 quart clean beeswax

1 quart paint thinner (any kind)

3 quarts polyurethane semigloss varnish

¼ pint (2 ox.) Japan Dry (paint drying agent)

In a large can sitting in hot water, melt beeswax slowly. The wax should be hot to the touch but shold not boil. Add paint thinner, semigloss varnish, and Japan Dry one at a time, mixing thoroughly before adding next ingredient. Stir mixture constantly with a long wooden spoon handle or paddle. Work in a well- ventilated area (outside?) as the fumes are combustible.

Once all the ingredients are mixed, the polish is used with a brush while it is warm. After it has been allowed to cool, wipe down or polish with a soft cloth.

During storage the polish will separate, to use simply warm it in a water bath and stir until it becomes a solution.

Call John at 758-7775 for lid, inner cover, bottom board, brood boxes, dadants and frames without wax.

President Sol Nowitz 753-9619

Vice-President Linda Bruce 245-4570

Treasurer &
Membership Elaine Kuusisto 245-7297

Secretary Diana Prestidge 468-9576

Directors Cheryl Reist 390-4879

James Long 756-2353

Diana Prestidge 468-9576

Bee Inspector Larry Lindahl 721-0523

Bee Drugs James Long 756-2353

Outyards Paolo Benvin 722-3427

James Long 756-2353

Swarms Conrad Berube 754-2482

Coffee/Tea Ed Pyrz 754-4657

BCHPA Vancouver
Island Regional Rep. John Van Apeldoorn 724-6639

Newsletter Editor Brenda Jager Tel/Fax 247-2078
& Mailing jagreid@island.net