This project aims to demonstrate how to determine which bee families need Varroa pest control by counting mites via early sampling.

Danish beekeepers have problems with Varroa disease. Varroa mites and the viruses they spread often multiply faster than beekeepers expect. There is therefore a need for a better practice where you as a beekeeper monitor the mite population. In this way, the bee colonies that have problems can be detected in time, and the Varroa mites in the bee colonies in question can be combated. Methods have been developed to combat Varroa miteswithout chemicals. These methods mean that you can continue to harvest honey but avoid the spread of Varroa disease to other bee colonies in the same apiary or in neighboring apiaries.

In the Better Beekeeping Practice project, we will demonstrate how to determine which bee colonies need control by counting mites on a sample taken in late June or early July. Bee colonies with more than 5 mites per 100 bees should be treated immediately, because already within 2 or 3 weeks the amount of mites will have exceeded the damage threshold. An early Varroa count provides the opportunity to save the bee colonies that are hardest hit.This prevents the spread of infection to other bee colonies, which can therefore manage without developing Varroa disease.

As a beekeeper, you will learn to make an informed decision to treat and learn how to treat the bees effectively depending on the time and condition, as well as learn that some bee colonies can completely dispense with treatment. But this requires actual knowledge of the amount of mites in the bee colonies and the apiary. You can sign up as an active participating beekeeper and learn more about the project (in Danish, via the green buttons).

The project is funded by The Danish Agricultural Agency, Beekeeping Programme, and is led by Senior Researcher Per Kryger, Department of Agricoecology (AGRO), Aarhus University and Associate Professor Annette Bruun Jensen,  Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen. Senior Researcher Yoko L. Dupont takes part in the project.