TEMPERATUREVS

VARROA MITELynn Williams

www.beehivethermalindustries.com803-504-9313

Meet Our Enemy

VARROA DESTRUCTOR

Why?

Every honey bee colony in the continental United States and

Canada either has Varroa mites today or will have them SOON.

• Scientific name → Varroa destructor

– Originally a pest of Asian honey bee

– Introduced to United States in 1987

– In all beekeeping countries except Australia

– Vector viruses or,

– Compromise the immunosuppression system?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4titRjZuOQ

CAN BE SEEN WITH THE NAKED EYE

NEW MITES ARE CLEAR TO TAN

OLDER MITES ARE REDDISH-BROWN BODY

MITES LIVE OFF Fat BODY TISSUE MAKING BEES WEAK UNABLE TO SURVIVE THE WINTER. INFECT THE BEES WITH VIRUSES. THE MITE ACUTALLY FEEDS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BEE AND WHEN OBSERVED ON THE TOP SIDE IT IS SAID TO BE IN TRANSIT.

DR. SAMMUEL RAMSEY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK2Xi0ST4rA.

NON-CHEMICAL APPROACHES

• NATURAL BEEKEEPING – LET THEM SWARM• OTS AND ITS VARIATIONS• NATURAL OXALATE VEGETABLE PRODUCTS• ESSENTIAL OILS• SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST – GENETIC

EVOLUTION• BROOD BREAKS• THERMAL TREATMENT• We all need to accept the fact that we have an

extra member of the family – the Varroa mite –and it ’s here to stay.

Successful Varroa control is PROACTIVE NOT REACTIVE

We need to control Varroa before the mites reach levels that

threaten colony productivity and survival.

External Feeding Vs Reproductive Mites

• The external feeding Mite lives off of & only On Our Honey Bee

• Reproductive Mite Resides In The Brood Frames

• Alcohol Wash Mite Counts only reveal the loose feeding mites

• Mite Count – What the numbers mean…

Mite Count Measurements

Population phases of honey bee/varroa mite seasonal cycles

Management Matters

• Figure 4. A simulation for a non-resistant colony, starting with 150 mites, low mite immigration, average overall r-value for the period from 15 April through 15 Sept of 0.021. I removed the crash indicator from this simulation, but the projected blue alcohol wash counts suggest that this colony had scant chance at making it through the winter, and even if it did, it would start the next season with an unsustainable 991 mites.

• Source Randy Oliver

The Virus Vector

• Who is it? We have always been told it was varroa

• Australia and Hawaii had viruses but no varroa

• I am only aware of one scientific test that found a virus with copies and that was inside a brood cell and the copies were perceived to have been ingested as they were removed from the digestive system of the varroa.

• No hemolymph – vector theory is lost

• Immunosuppression system compromise seems most plausible to me. Keep your colonies healthy and all should be well

Timing Matters

• We all have mites coming out of the winter

• The numbers will depend on your fall counts

• Spring treatment about the time flow starts

• Post harvest – Remember Mite peak

• Fall clean up

Oxalic Acid

• Most Effective When Brood Is Not Present

• Dr. Jennifer Berry treatment in August when Mites peak one must Cage Queen & Break the Brood Cycle

• Her Study Published In Bee Culture

• http://www.beeculture.com/oxalic-better-way/

• MSDS Potential Acute Health Effects

• Very Hazardous in case of skin contact, eyes, or Inhalation

• Severe over exposure can cause lung damage & death

• Protective Suit, Gloves, Respirator Required.

Effects of Oxalic Acid on Apis mellifera

• These results indicate a general impairment of the bees after treatment. The treatment in autumn or winter affects primarily long-living winter bees which are essential for winter survival and successful colony development in the spring. Treatment during summer with brood can cause substantial brood damage. Even when treating artificial swarms or nucleus colonies it cannot be certain that damages will not occur due to the extensive exposure to OAD in the colony. Long-term effects such as reduced amount of brood in treated colonies have been reported.

• OAD is one of the most important organic acids used for the control of V. destructor. It is indispensable but must be dosed precisely and applied as seldom as possible to prevent sublethal damages which eventually lead to the loss of bees. Long disposition in the bee hive can cause accumulation of the acid and therefore induce further damage.

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5620704/

MiteAway Quick Strip

• MSDS Acute Health Effects Hazardous to Skin, Eyes,& Lungs

• Disposable Gloves Required Wash Suit after use.

• Prolonged Contact with solid product or Vapor may produce injury to eye cornea, nasal & respiratory tract irritation & skin irritation

• Outside daytime temperature highs should be between 10°C –29.5°C (50°F – 85°F) on day of application. Excessive temperatures (>33°C) (>92°F) during the first three days of treatment may cause excessive brood mortality and queen loss.

Apivar (Amitraz)

• 44-56 day treatment when bees can move freely

• No Honey Supers On the Hive

• Not Suitable During Honey Flow Supers Can be Installed 2

• Weeks After Treatment

• MSDS Skin contact & open cuts should not be exposed

• Entry into the blood system thru open cuts etc. may have harmful effects.

• Long term use and exposure may be harmful to ones lungs function

Apistan

• Apply strips in brood box for 45 days. No Honey Supers on the Hive. Re-install honey supers after treatment.!!

• MSDS Keep out of reach of children. Harmful if absorbed through skin, avoid contact with eyes skin & clothing.

• If contact with eyes rinse for 15-20 minutes, if contact with skin rinse for 15-20 minutes & call the poison control center or a Doctor

• Handle only with Chemical Resistant Gloves

Check Mite

• Hang two strips in middle of brood box for 45 days. No Honey Supers on the Hive.

• Honey Supers can not be installed until two weeks after treatment.

• MSDS Inhalation Hazard symptoms of runny nose, eye’s tearing, tightness of chest. If severe symptoms are fatigue, vomiting, convulsions, low blood pressure, cardiac irregularities and coma.

• Symptoms may not appear until 12 hours after exposure

Temperature

• 1996 Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Study & USDA

• Preformed for 1 year at Apiary’s in Vermont & New Hampshire

• Bees where removed and placed in a Hive Box and treated with thermal temperature, the results were 82-98% termination of the Trachea, Jacobson,& Varroa Mite.

• The process was very simple but old compared to today’s technology but it worked. You can read the full study at https://projects.sare.org/project-reports/lne96-066/

IPM Physical Control No. 6

Physical practices include the use of Heat, cold, light, humidity, carbon dioxide, light, ventilation or sound to control a pest. Most pests have physical limitations that affect their activities or survival. Freezing temperatures are an excellent way of killing or controlling wax moths and small hive beetles in stored drawn comb. Light and ventilation are also recommended for control of wax moths in stored drawn comb. Heat has been shown to affect varroa survival and placement of colonies in sun may aid in control of this pest. Placement of colonies in sun will also create drier soil conditions which disrupt the lifecycle of small hive beetles. by Wm. Michael HoodDept. of Entomology, Soils, and Plant SciencesClemson University

2016 Last Study ResultsProf. Bicik & Dr. Linhart

• Hives in the Spring were treated with Temperature, Formidol, & Varidol.

• The Summer treatment showed a high increase in mite counts with the Chemical Products & a very low mite count with the thermal system.

• The fall treatment showed the same results as the summer treatment chemicals treatments had only a minor result of terminating the Varroa Mite. Where as Thermal Treatment terminated the Varroa Mite and the reason is it terminates the mite under the capped brood. No chemical products can make this CLAIM.

• You can review the study at: Facebook Mighty Mite Thermal Treatment Users https://www.facebook.com/groups/275791919813444/files/

Dr. Linhart Follow Up Study

• Beekeepers have a variety of toxic chemicals at their disposal to exterminate mites.

• However, mites have already developed resistance to many such pesticides, which may

• furthermore contaminate the bee product. Moreover, some pesticides persist in the wax of the

• combs, which has led to a ban on synthetic drugs in many countries.

• Remedies based on organic acids in unsuitable concentrations may harm the queen and the brood. The only highly effective alternative method to chemical treatment is a physical elimination of the

• Varroa mite by increasing the temperature in the hive. Varroa destructor is a strictly

• stenothermal parasite capable of reproduction in a narrow temperature range between 26(78.8F) and 33°C (91.4F)(Rosenkranz et al. 2010; Pätzold & Ritter 1989).

Dr. Linhart

• Apis cerana defends itself against mites by heating the worker brood to a temperature above 35.5 °C(95.9F), at which the developmental stages of the mite are no longer capable of normal development. The drone brood of Apis cerana is heated only to 92.3 °F (33.5 °C), which does not harm the mites

• (Erickson et al. 2000). The mites in Apis cerana are therefore enabled to parasitize primarily• on drone brood. Some studies suggest that if the mite parasitizes on the worker brood, the

percentage of infertility in female mites is much higher. (Zhou et. al. 2004;• Rosenkranz and Engels, 1994). Other studies have shown that the optimum temperature for• the development of mites lies between 32.5 and 33.4 °C (90.5 – 92.1 °F). The reproductive• capability of female exposed mites significantly decreases at temperatures above 36.5 °C

(98 °F), and above 38 °C (100.4 °F) exposed mites die without engaging in reproduction (Le Conte et al. 1990).

• You can down load the study at Facebook Mighty Mite Thermal Treatment Users • https://www.facebook.com/groups/275791919813444/files/

•There IS An Organic Solution

Coronado Honey Bee Farm Paris Texas Thermal Treatment Case Study

• June 15th 2018 Ambient Temp. 81F Virgin Double Deep Hive

• Triple Alcohol Wash Mite Count 14 or 4.666 % per 100 Nursery Bees

• During The Thermal Treatment Bees Naturally Attempted To Cool Hive By Internally Fanning & Bearding.

• Upon Completion Of The Treatment It Was Removed & Initial Examination Yielded 10 Dead Bees Numerous Dead Small Hive Beetles Along With Numerous Dead Mites Which the Bees Where Removing. Mite Sticky Board Was Added To The Hive.

Coronado Study Results

• Day 3-7 Colony Was Busy House Cleaning Removing Capped Brood With Mites Attached. Eggs Turned into Larvae, Larvae Evolved To Pupae, & Queen Laying In These Newly Cleaned Cells.

• June 25th Colony Was Inspected To Be Very Vigorous • All Stages Of Eggs, Larvae, Capped & Emerging Brood Were Observed To Be

Healthy.• Triple Alcohol Wash Yielded 2 Mites per 279 Bees .71%. • This Hive Was Located Among 15 Additional Hives.• Later The 45 Day Follow Up Colony Was Rapidly Expanding .• View the Complete Study at:• https://www.facebook.com/groups/275791919813444/files/• Special Thanks To Sebastian Coronado

Available in:10 FRAME 8 FRAME

Price $ 299.00

Solution: 104 F – 106 FTerminatesVarroa Mite Even Under

Capped Brood Hive BeetlesOrganic Solution

Without the use of pesticidesOnly three treatments per year

MIGHTY MITE THERMAL TREATMENT

IN ACTION

• 2 DOUBLE DEEP HIVES BEING TREATED

• NOTICE THE INSULATION BOARD ON TOP OF THE DOUBLE DEEP

• HONEY SUPERS RESTING ON TOP

• BEES REMAIN TO GUARD SUPERS AND ARE EXPOSED TO EXHAUSTING HEAT

• PHOTO DEPICTS CLOSURE STICK IN PLACE ON YELLOW HIVE

• LIGHT GREEN HIVE ON LEFT HAS NO CLOSURE STICK

• IT WAS STARTED FIRST AND THE CLOSURE STICK WAS REMOVED WHILE SETTING UP THE SECOND

• Anyone see the deep without the Handle?

COMPACT DESIGN FOR SLIDE IN & OUT OPERATION

• ONE UNIT WILL SERVICE MUTIPLE HIVES• EXTRA INTERNAL SENSORS AVAILABLE WITH QUICK

DISCONNECT SO ONE CAN INSTALL ONLY ONCE FOR MUTIPLE HIVES

• REQUIRES 120 VOLT AC FOR OPERATION• REMOTE HIVE LOCATIONS REQUIRES A SMALL

GENERATOR• REQUIRED POWER IS ONLY 220 WATTS LESS THAN 2 AMPS• UPON REACHING MITE MODE TEMPEATURE IS

MAINTAINED AND POWER USAGE IS VERY MINIMUM

Best Practices & Benefits

• Recommended applications - three times per year (Hawaii and Florida will require more)

• Advantages: No more use of pesticides to kill the mites

• Honey production increases

• Kills mites under capped brood every time (1)(2)

• Kills all SHB present in the hive body during treatment

• Studies suggest tracheal mites were completely eliminated via thermal treatment (1)

• Improve the health of the bee colony

• The belt has a thermal sensor and a second sensor is inserted into the top rear of the hive body and located on the top of the center brood frame

• The Controller analyzes the comparative temperature valves of the Sensor inside the hive body and Heater Blanket Sensor which keeps the hive at the desired temperature

THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY

QUESTIONS ?www.beehivethermalindustries.com

214-679-9143

lynn@beehivethermalindustries.com

Facebook Mighty Mite Thermal Users

https://www.facebook.com/groups/275791919813444/

Citations and references

• Many are listed on the Bee Hive Thermal Industries website• Most all will likely be found in The Mighty Mite Users Group• Here are some if anyone would like to take a photo and research themselves.•

• (1)SARE Project LNE96-66, J.T. Cunningham December 1997• (2) The effectiveness of thermotherapy in the elimination of Varroa destructor. – Acta Mus. Siles. Sci. Natur. 65: 263-269, 2016.

Professor Bicik• Randy Oliver –• As discovered by Dr. Stephen Martin [1], it’s not so much varroa that’s the problem—rather, it’s the mite-transmitted viruses,

notably Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) and the “Acute-Kashmir-Israeli virus complex” (AKI). DWV is always present, but typically exists as a delicately-balanced covert infection in the worker bees. It’s only when the bees are stressed by the wounding and inoculation by the mite that the infection tips from the covert state to the overt state, eventually causing an in-hive viral epidemic that typically results in the collapse of the entire colony. There appear to be two tipping points involved:

• The first tipping point occurs when the virus infection level in an individual pupa or adult exceeds 70 to 80 million (107) viral copies—at which point the virus goes rampant and causes illness or death [2], and then

• When either the in-hive mite infestation rate of the adult bees reaches roughly 15 mites per 100 bees, or when more than a quarter of the brood becomes infested by mites–

• at which point the virus(es) overwhelm the colony-level immune defenses and we begin to see the signs of Parasitic Mite Syndrome (PMS).

• Randy Oliver – Varroa problem part 14 - Figure 4. A simulation for a non-resistant colony, starting with 150 mites, low mite immigration, average overall r-value for the period from 15 April through 15 Sept of 0.021. I removed the crash indicator from this simulation, but the projected blue alcohol wash counts suggest that this colony had scant chance at making it through the winter, and even if it did, it would start the next season with an unsustainable 991 mites.

•