Check varroa level

There are some beekeepers that have managed to keep their Apis mellifera mellifera bees for years without treating them for varroa. Not all bee populations will manage to survive without treatment though. In order to get an idea of how your colonies are doing, it is advisable to count the natural varroa mite downfall on the bottom board. This information will also enable you to include varroa resistance /tolerance into your breeding activities. This is a rather complicated topic and you can surely find additional information outside of this wiki.

• In Finland the following protocol is used to find out if the colony needs to be treated:
  • Count and write down the number of dead mites on the bottom board over 7 to 10 days.
    • In the spring: If you find more than an average of 1 mite per day you should consider treating the colony.
    • In the fall: If you find more than 15 mites per day, you should consider treating the colony.

The different treating thresholds are due to the mites' and bees' population dynamics and their life cycles.

• Counting varroa mite downfall
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  Varroa mite

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  Taking out the bottom board

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  Counting varroa mite downfall