Updated Varroa Mite Management Guide Released

The Honey Bee Health Coalition has released the ninth edition of its Tools for Varroa Management Guide, a resource designed to help beekeepers in the U.S. and Canada combat one of the biggest threats to honey bee health, the varroa mite.

The updated guide includes the latest science, monitoring techniques, and treatment options for managing the parasite, which spreads disease within and between 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.”

The publication was developed through a collaboration of beekeepers, researchers, extension specialists, apiary inspectors, and regulators.

Effective Control Will Help Reduce Colony Loss

“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.”

Experts say effective varroa control is critical to reducing colony losses, protecting honey production, and safeguarding pollination services that support agricultural food production.

Practical Steps Offered For Beekeepers

“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.”

The guide outlines practical steps beekeepers can take to measure mite levels and choose the most effective management strategies for their operations.

Click Here, to check out the free copy of the full guide.

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