Orange Blossom Beekeepers Association

Monthly Meeting: October 21, 2021

OBBA Announcements

What's the buzz?

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OBBA Workshop

Saturday, October 23, 2021

  • Time: 8:30
  • Location: OBBA Apiary at UF Extension Office
  • Actions: Hive Inspections

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Pay Annual Dues

You can pay your annual dues on-line:

OrangeBlossomBeekeepers.org/join-obba/

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Honey For Sale

We have OBBA honey to purchase!

(Send Matt a message on Slack)

Number (1 lbs) Price
1 bottle $10
2 bottles $18
3 bottles $25

OBBA Website: orangeblossombeekeepers.org

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Facebook: OrangeBlossomBeekeepers

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Instagram: OrangeBlossomBeekeepers

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Slack: obba.slack.com

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Oct/Nov Bee Management

Current UF Management Recommendations (Oct/Nov)

  • Monitor colonies for varroa
  • Consider treating colonies for Nosema using Fumagilin
  • Monitor for and control small hive beetles
  • Feed colonies if light

What is blooming in Central Florida (Oct)

  • Bush Aster
  • Goldenrod
  • Mexican Clover
  • Primrose Willow
  • Smart Weed
  • Spanish Needle
  • Spotted Mint
  • Vine Aster

What is blooming in Central Florida (Nov)

  • Bush Aster
  • Goldenrod
  • Mexican Clover
  • Primrose Willow
  • Smart Weed
  • Spanish Needle
  • Spotted Mint
  • Vine Aster

Varroa destructor Control

An Integrated Pest Management Approach

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Why control Varroa?

  1. Can cause colony death between 6 months to two years
  2. Associated with 6 different honey bee viruses:
    • Deformed wing virus
    • Acute paralysis virus
    • Sacbrood virus
    • Israeli acute paralysis virus
    • Kashmir bee virus
  3. Responsible beekeeping
  4. Keeping healthy honey bees can help keep healthy pollinator populations

Varroa mites

  • Jumped from the Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) to the European honey bee
  • Spread around the World (Arriving in USA in 1987)
  • Reproduce in cells with developing workers and drones
  • Feed from the fat bodies of the bees
  • Controlling varroa = controlling viruses

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

  • IPM is the recommended approach
  • Relies on a combination of different control methods:
    • Genetic
    • Cultural
    • Chemical

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Checking mite levels

  • Do this regularly
  • Methods:
    1. Alcohol washes
    2. Sugar rolls
    3. Sticky board
  • Goal: <3%

Alcohol Wash Method

  • Use a wide-mouth glass jar with 50 ml (2 oz) of rubbing alcohol
  • Scoop about 300 bees (1 cup) from the brood area
    • NO Queen!
  • Shake for several minutes
  • Pour contents through a light metal wire-mesh screen
  • Count number of mites (divide by 3 for a %)

Genetics

Queen selection:

  • Choose new young queens
  • Local survivor colony queens and Ankle biters/leg chewers queens
  • Specialty queens
    • Russian
    • Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH)
    • Caucasian hybrid
    • Buckfast hybrid
    • Buckfast
    • Improved Carniolan stock

A Test for Hygienic Behavior

  1. Mark a cell directly above 3 groups of 7 newly sealed cells
  2. Kill all 21 larva by pricking them with a pin through the cappings
    • Use the same hole to prick the larva several times at different angles
  3. Count how many cells are completely uncapped and cleaned out after 24 hours
    • Colonies which have cleaned 19 cells (90%) are considered hygienic

Cultural Methods

  • Take advantage of honey bee behaviors and/or Varroa biology
  • Goal: To limit the number of mites that reproduce => slowing Varroa population build up

Screened bottom boards

  • Varroa fall off of bees naturally and when bees groom each other
  • Allow mites to fall through (out of the hive), preventing them from crawling back up
  • Passive mite control device
  • Reported to reduce mite levels by as much as 40%

Sticky Boards

  • Similar to screened bottom boards -> prevents mites from returning to the cluster
  • After 3 days, the sticky board is removed:
    • Count the Varroa
    • Divide by the number of days that the board was under the hive
    • If > 40 => treat the colony

Brood interruption or making splits

Interrupting the honey bee development cycle also interrupts Varroa development

  • Fewer brood cells for mite reproduction
  • Cage or remove the queen for approximately 3 weeks
  • All of the brood hatches (mites are forced out of the cells and onto adult bees)
  • Adult bees increase grooming behavior in the absence of brood
  • Properly timed, can ease stress of a dearth period

Drone brood removal

  • Varroa mites prefer drone brood 12x more than worker brood
  • Removing capped drone brood = removing Varroa
  • Cut out mostly capped Drone comb 1-3 times
  • Can reduce by up to 80%

Powdered sugar dusting

  • Being covered in powdered sugar causes bees to groom themselves and each other -> dislodging mites
  • Labor intensive and unsure effectiveness

Chemical Control Options in Florida:

  1. Apiguard - essential oil from thyme plant
  2. Api Life VAR - essential oils from thyme, camphor, eucalyptus, mint plants
  3. Formic Pro (replaces Mite Away Quick Strips) - Formic acid
  4. HopGuard II - beta acids from hop plant
  5. Oxalic Acid Dihydrate
  6. Apivar - Amitraz, synthetic chemical, pesticide class: amidine
  7. Apistan - tau-fluvalinate, synthetic chemical, pesticide class: pyrethroid

Natural (Soft Chemicals)

  • Apiguard (thymol)
    • Spring and Fall
    • Use these treatments between 60° and 105°F
    • Apply in late afternoon or evening
    • Don’t apply during nectar flow

Natural (Soft Chemicals)

  • Api Life Var (thymol, eucalyptor, menthol, camphor)
    • Spring or autumn
    • Use when temperature is between 65-85°F
    • Apply 3 times at 7-10 day intervals
    • Remove honey supers during treatment and wait one month following treatment to harvest honey

Natural (Soft Chemicals)

  • Formic Pro
    • Use when temperature is between 50-92°F
    • Can be used while honey supers are on

Natural (Soft Chemicals)

  • Hop Guard II (hops beta acids)
    • Do not use more than 3 times/year
    • Can be used when honey supers are on
    • More effective when less brood (does not cross cappings)

Natural (Soft Chemicals)

  • Oxalic acid
    • Most effective during broodless periods
    • Winter or early spring method
    • Should not be used as a stand-alone treatment

Synthetics (Hard Chemicals)

  • Apivar (amitraz)
    • Remove honey supers while treating
    • Wait 2 weeks after treatment ends before replacing them
    • Do not use this treatment more than 2 times/year
    • Some resistance documented

Synthetics (Hard Chemicals)

  • Apistan (fluvalinate)
    • Remove honey supers while treating
    • Do not use beeswax for human consumption after treatment
    • Daytime temperatures must be at ≥50°F
    • Developing resistance

Summary Chemical Table

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Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

  • Control Varroa for healthy bees as a responsible beekeeper
  • Check Varroa levels regularly
  • Choose hygenic genetics
  • Integrate non-chemical treatments to your strategies
    • Screen bottom board, brood breaks, drone brood removal, etc
  • Use chemical treatments as you must, and follow all the application directions

Stay involved, Stay connected

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