Deformed wing virus
Deformed wing virus (DWV) is one of the viral diseases associated with Varroa mite infestations. Although the disease is also found in colonies not infected with Varroa, it appears to be both more...
View ArticleHopGuard: first impressions
It’s been over a year since I last treated for mites. However, due to a recent increase in deformed wing virus, I decided to treat for mites before winter sets in. I prefer winter bees (those that live...
View ArticleVarroa mites feeding on a sick bee
Rebecca Wilson, a beekeeper in southwestern Florida, sent me this photo of a honey bee crippled with deformed wing virus (DWV) and saddled with two Varroa mites. There were actually three mites to...
View ArticleDid mites kill my bees?
You went into autumn with an exuberant and populous hive. You weren’t worried about them because they had a first-year queen and loads of honey and pollen. You counted your mite drop and it seemed...
View ArticleIt’s not about mites any more
“If one more speaker starts yapping about Varroa mites, I’m gettin’ up and walkin’ out!” The grumbler sitting next to me in the audience didn’t know me and didn’t know I was the next speaker. And yap I...
View ArticleBees head-down in cells: did they starve?
When you find circles of honey bees head-down in cells, does that mean they starved? Were head-down bees licking the bottom of the cells to get every last morsel of honey? A reader raised these...
View ArticleA virgin queen bee with deformed wings
Here is an unusual sight, one I’ve never seen before. This virgin queen, with severely deformed wings, was spotted by beekeeper James Burge in Santa Barbara, California. James explained that he was...
View ArticleThe mites are the same old mites
Each time I think I’ve written my very last post on varroa, something else comes up. This time, it was a question about how to treat for mites now that we know mites eat fat bodies instead of...
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