As worried as we may be of varroa, deformed wing virus (DWV) and other varroa associated viruses are the true killer. Australia doesn’t have DWV … Read More
Viruses are common in honey bee colonies but tend to exist as covert infections with only sporadic disease outbreaks. The emergence and global spread of … Read More
Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH) occurs when workers recognise that the brood has been infested with varroa and uncap the cell. They may then recap the … Read More
Current small hive beetle distribution
Small hive beetle (SHB) (Aethina tumida) originated in southern Africa and has spread across the world (Figure 1). SHB is not … Read More
African and Africanized bees tend to have greater natural resilience to Varroa. One mechanism associated with this resistance is that these bees have a shorter … Read More
What is grooming and mite biting?
Grooming is a behavioural resistance mechanism where bees remove mites from themselves (autogrooming) or nestmates (allogrooming). Bees have a unique … Read More
Many beekeepers will be wondering how to best manage varroa in their hives. A well equipped Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tool kit will comprise of … Read More
With Varroa now on our shores, Australian beekeepers have a steep learning curve to understand how to live with the mite. Fortunately, beekeepers worldwide have … Read More
Precision agriculture or “AgTech” is well known from fruit and vegetables producers, but it has only recently started to make its way into beekeeping. Hive … Read More
