Poster presented at Apimondia 2019 in Montreal (Canada)
In the global debate about varroa (Varroa destructor) management, honey bee health experts and beekeepers often focus on varroa treatments, but a well-organized monitoring routine lays the foundation for a successful treatment strategy and can be one of the keys to overwintering survival.
In a field study (2017) conducted in the Czech Republic, we compared the efficiency of four established Varroa monitoring methods: the two standardized, industrial methods “Varroa EasyCheck®” (Véto-pharma) and “Varroa Tester®” (Swienty) and the two home-made methods “Powdered Sugar Dusting” and “Alcohol Wash”.
Conclusions:
– Efficiency of all tested monitoring methods was variable with higher variability at lower infestation rates.
– The Varroa EasyCheck® and Varroa Tester® were the most efficient of the four tested monitoring methods (82.3% and 83.9%, respectively), whereas the Sugar Dusting (64.9%) and the home-made Alcohol Wash (65.2%) methods demonstrated a significantly lower efficiency.
– In the present field study, standardized monitoring methods were more efficient compared to home-made solutions.
– The factor “beekeeper” significantly affected the efficacy of the powdered sugar dusting method, but not that of Varroa EasyCheck® or the Varroa Tester®.