Monitor for Varroa mite
Rigorously monitor Varroa levels and evaluate results
Routinely monitoring Varroa levels in a portion of your colonies in each apiary is critical to making good Varroa control decisions.
When to monitor
Monitoring is recommended once a month, except during winter in very cold climates. With miticide resistance now present in Australia mid-treatment monitoring is recommended.
How to monitor
Use the standard half cup measure 300-bee sampling method, so that you can compare mite loads over time, and make informed decisions about treatments.
How many hives to monitor
Beekeepers with only a few hives are best to monitor all their hives regularly. Beekeepers with many hives should regularly monitor a proportion of all their hives. Where beekeepers have greater than 10 hives per apiary it is recommended to sample colonies both from the centre and outer edges of the apiary.
- Small apiary
- Fewer than 10 colonies at an apiary = all colonies should be monitored for Varroa
- Medium to large apiary, multiple apiaries
- Greater than 10 colonies per apiary = Sample 10 or more colonies in each apiary. If possible, include colonies from the centre as well as the outer edges of the apiary.
Varroa infestations will vary between colonies, even in the same apiary, so the more colonies that can be monitored, the greater accuracy you’ll have evaluating your mite levels. Where populations have not stabilised and re-infestation is common, sampling more than 10 colonies per apiary and rotating which colonies are monitored is highly recommended.
Evaluating mite numbers
The number of Varroa you find will depend on your location, how long Varroa has been established in the surrounding environment, the time of year, your previous Varroa IPM, and other situation specific considerations. When your colony needs chemical treatment depends on the brood rearing phase your colony is in and the number of Varroa you find in the results of your monitoring (i.e. alcohol wash, soapy water wash, sugar shake).
To simply evaluate Varroa infestation levels in the field, you can count the number of mites detected per half cup measure of worker bee s and reference the following table for control guidelines.
NOTE: These thresholds are based on information from overseas, typically from countries with a brood break over winter. Our understanding of the mite load at which economic and health impacts will occur in Australia is still developing as Varroa spreads and beekeepers learn to manage it. Treatment thresholds specific for Australia’s unique conditions will be updated as the situation unfolds.
| Season | Mites per 300 bees (1/2 cup) | TREATMENT: Plan or control |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn/Winter/Spring | 1-4 | Plan |
| Autumn/Winter/Spring (1 March - 30 November) | 5+ | Control |
| Summer | 1-8 | Plan |
| Summer | 9+ | Control |
Note: Mite control thresholds vary around the world.
Standard 300-bee sampling methods
Varroa Mite Alcohol Wash
Alcohol wash is considered best practice for varroa mite monitoring in Australia. This video will take you through the steps to successfully complete a Varroa mite alcohol wash.
Varroa Mite Soapy Water Wash
Varroa Mite Sugar Shake
Alternative sampling methods
Varroa Mite Drone Uncapping
Drone uncapping can be used to determine whether mites are present in a hive, however it does not give an indication of mite load.
If mites are found, use one of the 300-bee sample monitoring methods to determine whether the recommended treatment threshold has been reached.
