By: Blake Shook It’s always disappointing to lose a hive. However, all beekeepers lose hives, and often many hives. Understanding why they died and how you can prevent it next time is one of the most important elements of learning...
You can’t diagnose Varroa mites just by looking at a hive, but there are some pretty common warning signs that something might be going on. Things like deformed wings, uncapped brood, seeing mites on bees, or bees just acting a little “off” are all good cues that it’s time to stop and do a proper mite check.
Testing & treating Varroa mites is one of the most important things to do in all of beekeeping. If you don’t pick the right size of super, or forget to install an entrance reducer, it isn’t going to impact your...
By James & Chari Elam The topic of “how to treat” for Varroa mites has been one that has dominated bee clubs, beekeeping seminars and online blogs for many years. With so many options and opinions, one would likely be...
Also read: What does a good vs bad brood pattern look like? A poor brood pattern can be caused by many things. Below I’ve outlined the common causes, and how to fix them: A failing queen- As queens age, they...
Not every hive keeps up this time of year, and sometimes it’s not obvious why. Weak hives can struggle with brood, population, or foraging even when everything around them looks great. The key is figuring out what’s holding them back—and knowing when to help them along or when it’s time to move on.
As promised (and anticipated I’m sure) – Varroa Destructor is my topic of the month! Those of you that have attended a seminar (or two) know all too well the drilling we get about Varroa mites. Over and over again...
Utilizing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for Varroa mite control takes the pressure off any single method by combining multiple strategies to improve overall success. From mite-resistant queens and brood breaks to drone trapping and knowing when chemicals really matter, IPM pulls the best from each approach to increase long-term success.
Screened bottom boards are one of those beekeeping tools that spark a lot of debate. Some beekeepers swear by them, others keep things simple with solid bottoms—and both can work just fine. In this article, we’ll break down the pros, cons, and a few things to consider before deciding what’s best for your hives.
Staying ahead of Varroa mites is critical—especially during honey flow when options are limited. Using drone frames as part of your IPM plan can help reduce mite loads naturally, while other products are available if needed.
By: Chari Elam I can speak from experience—the decision of which Varroa treatment to use can feel overwhelming.What should I use? How does it work? Will it hurt my bees? The questions just keep coming… Years ago, we created a...
This is not a very uplifting topic for sure, but one of the most important skills in beekeeping is to learn from our mistakes, of which we all make many! The average annual hive loss rate is up to 44%....
What is the Varroa Mite (Varroa Destructor)? Simply put, it is an external parasitic mite that attacks and feeds on our Western honey bees, Apis Malifera. The Varroa mite is considered the # 1 cause of death in honey bees...
When we think of the Varroa Mite, we think it must have been a problem for our bees forever! That’s actually not true! Varroa mites are a native parasite from Asia and the Asian honey bee, Apis Cerana. It wasn’t...
IPM - Integrated Pest Management The IPM approach is simply this – utilizing a series of methods for the long-term control and prevention of Varroa mites. The combination of these different methods gives the beekeeper and the bees a much...
Unfortunately, no… Not controlling Varroa will allow them to spread—not only to your other hives but often to all the hives within a few miles of your own bees. Not controlling Varroa in some manner is irresponsible as a beekeeper...
If you’ve ever walked out to find a dead hive and thought, what happened?—you’re not alone. Hive forensics helps you read the clues your bees left behind, understand what went wrong, and protect your colonies moving forward.
