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Thread: Varroa – feasibility of clearing?

  1. #1
    Senior Member Kate Atchley's Avatar
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    Default Varroa – feasibility of clearing?

    Varroa has been found in Acharacle, just north of Ardnamurchan, in the midst of a previously Varroa-free area. No idea how it came in here but some 10 colonies and a bunch of nucs are infested or in close proximity.

    Some local beekeepers are pressing for the removal of all infested colonies to protect others and prevent the mite spreading. Some beekeepers see little point in clearing out infested bees as early detection is difficult and it may already have spread more widely than is known, as well as to feral colonies.

    Bees currently testing as free of Varroa are at distances of 1 mile, 1.5 miles, 4 miles and more from the infested colonies.

    Please tell us if you know of areas where they have sought to clear an area of infestation. Did it work? What are the best conditions for success? It is important we have as full and informed a discussion about this locally as possible so for now I prefer to be the messenger and not share my thoughts on this. Your help is much appreciated.

  2. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kate Atchley View Post
    .........................Please tell us if you know of areas where they have sought to clear an area of infestation. Did it work? What are the best conditions for success? It is important we have as full and informed a discussion about this locally as possible so for now I prefer to be the messenger and not share my thoughts on this. Your help is much appreciated.
    Varroa was first discovered in Ireland after some helpful gentleman imported an infested colony from the UK. The area effected was in Sligo/Leitrim, the Dept. of Agriculture immediately set out to have every colony of bees, in and remotely near the area destroyed. They were unsuccessful in their attempts to eliminate the parasite and within 6/8 years the whole country was infected, there are many stories of incredibly irresponsible beekeepers moving colonies about during that period. Compensation was paid for the colonies destroyed and this being Ireland, every derelict or discarded hive that could be acquired anywhere, was pressed into service with a frame or two of brood and compensation claimed. The area on paper had the highest density of hives in Europe.
    I think you should try, but chances of success are slim.
    In the peninsular areas of south west Ireland, local beekeepers made attempts to reduce the risk of spread by not importing bees from outside the area - again no success, except perhaps to slow down the arrival. In one notable incident varroa spread from the eastern boundaries of Kerry to it's western maritime boundary apparently almost overnight.

    PS. In the have we/have we not got varroa days here, a jar half filled with alcohol into which a number of bees were placed, was used to check for the mite. It was a good system - it might be something you should consider.
    In those days I used to put my bee suit into a zipped bag and let loose with a can of fly spray after being in a varroa area. I was rather taken by Gavins suggestion that bees squashed on a vehicle front could be a source of infection - it is quite plausible, I had never thought of it. Birds and transported potted plants are also believed to spread the mite.
    It may be of some slight comfort to realise you can now import AMM queens from o/s the area.
    Last edited by Dark Bee; 12-07-2013 at 06:22 PM. Reason: further info.

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    Administrator gavin's Avatar
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    Hi Kate

    Sorry to hear that - I know how hard you've tried to keep the area clear.

    I think that you are answering your own question. Bees at 1, 1.5, 4 miles from the known site? Those three sites almost definitely have it already, so are you proposing to move all these out of the area too? Then the affected beekeepers manage their colonies at a great distance? By the time you find Varroa in a colony there will be hundreds if not thousands of them, and given that the workers and especially the drones will move around to other colonies and apiaries it is inconceivable that other apiaries do not already have it. Where it is known that Varroa (well, bees from a Varroa-infested area) were moved into an area (often a sale to naive beginner from a trader of some kind), and then the bees and the Varroa died out (I know of several examples) beekeepers and honeybees were extremely scattered. It sounds like in this case there will be sufficient colonies around to sustain the infestation unless you clear the whole of the area from the Mallaig road to the Sound of Mull of all bee colonies.

    It doesn't really matter now how the infestation came in. Could have been someone (known to you or unknown) buying/bringing in bees or queens recently. Could have been an older infestation, thought to have been removed but lurking in a feral colony to infest this apiary. Could have been a far-flying drone (40 miles some say, and so I doubt that even Mull has been fully safe since Varroa appeared on the adjacent mainland around Oban). Some have even speculated that dead bees stuck on the front of vehicles could vector mites and be picked up by bees after the sticky stuff (no real evidence that I know).

    None of that is important now. You have the mite. Trying to rid the area of it would be painful and probably unsuccessful. Much better to share knowledge on how to deal with it, and keep your guard up about infecting the more isolated areas.

    Gavin

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    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
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    I feel for you Kate. That is the worst possible news.
    I agree with the previous two posts.
    I don't know of a case where varroa has ever been eliminated.

    Gerry Coyne wrote an article in the most recent NIHBS magazine about how varroa arrived overnight in Connemara a few years ago when someone who knew no better introduced a colony from Dublin.

    This is really unfortunate but from here on your beekeeping has just got a lot more complicated.
    varroa can be kept in check under proper management but one thing is for sure, all the let alone beekeepers will lose their bees as there will be no resistance at all in your stock.

    This is a perfect illustration of why some of us are so vocal about imports.
    Importing bees brought us varroa to these islands in the first place and some day we will likely get small hive beetle, tropilaelaps and a cocktail of new and unknown viruses via the same route.
    The UK bee dealers are sourcing queens wherever they can and selling bees to every point of the uk and Ireland.

    Google any of them to verify the origin of their queens.

    http://www.fragile-planet.co.uk/

    Please note that the Buckfast queens we sell may be imported.
    Easy Bee

    http://www.easybeeproducts.co.uk/bees-queens.html

    ORDERS ARE NOW BEING TAKEN. We breed and supply to the trade, Early Imported- Australian Queens - Carnolian Queens- Nucleus- UK Package bees, Brand new Plywood hives of bees, We send them all over the UK.
    Paynes bee farm

    You are in luck; - as part of "Paynes Bee Farm" we are well rehearsed in both the breeding and importing of Honeybee Colonies, and take pride and care in every order placed. We have been supplying locally bred honeybees and New Zealand bred bees for many years and look forward to helping you.
    I believe there are suppliers based in Scotland doing the same.
    Last edited by Jon; 12-07-2013 at 03:09 PM.

  5. #5

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    Sorry to hear that Kate.
    Your beekeeping just got more complicated.

  6. #6

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    Hi kate

    The chances of complete eradication are slim but not impossible
    Everybody needs to insert something to check if they have mites apiguard or api life var at this time of year would be suitable
    The new MAQS strips are apparently effective and safe with supers on (check that I don't use them)
    Everybody needs to be able to recognise varroa when they drop out
    Everybody needs to use a varroa screen floor and insert to collect the dead mites
    Everybody needs to treat using effective methods and at exactly the same time
    Check out this graph of 22 hives I had in 2008
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...thkey=CP2F0pIK
    I was and still am surrounded by people who don't treat or treat but using idiot methods like sugar powder
    If everyone round here reduced their varroa populations like in the graph at the same time that's virtual eradication
    I jump out of my pram every time someone suggests not treating /breeding for resistance etc
    Best of luck you can do it but not alone

  7. #7

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    I wonder if it'd be possible to find where the mites originated? Probably not. But if they've been brought in by someone from down south (Scotland or England) it might be worth doing a check for pyrethroid resistance if you're thinking of using Apistan or Bayvarol.

    My condolences but I hate to say it - in this society you can pretty much guarantee all of the varroa free areas will eventually get mites. "We" are a selfish bunch.

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    Administrator gavin's Avatar
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    Default Varroa – feasibility of clearing?

    Quote Originally Posted by The Drone Ranger View Post
    If everyone round here reduced their varroa populations like in the graph at the same time that's virtual eradication
    Let's assume that there are thousands in the hive(s) discovered, and hundreds, maybe thousands in total, in other colonies in the area. How could existing treatments with their 90-98% efficiency remove all mites? I don't think eradication will work unless all the bees in a very wide area, and all their contacts over the last 2-3 yrs, are destroyed.

    Sent from my BlackBerry 8520 using Tapatalk

  9. #9
    Senior Member Kate Atchley's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Black Comb View Post
    Sorry to hear that Kate.
    Your beekeeping just got more complicated.
    I kept bees with Varroa for 14 years and well remember the complications. Treatments have moved on a little in the 4 years since I had to apply them but not dramatically so. Ah well ....

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by gavin View Post
    Let's assume that there are thousands in the hive(s) discovered, and hundreds, maybe thousands in total, in other colonies in the area. How could existing treatments with their 90-98% efficiency remove all mites? I don't think eradication will work unless all the bees in a very wide area, and all their contacts over the last 2-3 yrs, are destroyed.

    Sent from my BlackBerry 8520 using Tapatalk
    over first 4 days of treatment 8000 mites dropped over 22 hives
    over last 6 days of treatment 7 mites dropped over 22 hives
    ie 0.05 mites dropped/day
    Or put another way just over one mite /month in the whole apiary
    A single treatment might be 90/95% but we don't rely on one treatment
    so 100 x 90% becomes 10 x 90% becomes 1
    Last edited by The Drone Ranger; 12-07-2013 at 11:11 PM.

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