Beekeeping Hack: End The Mite Nightmare Now!

Beekeeping strategies for ending the nightmare of varroa mites are so vital to new beekeepers as well as those that are experienced in beekeeping. Varroa mites are killing our bees and beekeepers can easily level up their ability to control mites.
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Whoa, you made it all the way down here! Thank you ♥️ Love you

[@melissa_lee_redeemed]

I'm consuming a lot of helpful videos - but this was one of the best! Thanks for all of the information!!!

[@beek]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@77deerejohn]

Thank you for all the work and time you spent Dealing with Varroa mites.

[@halleyevans1980]

I love your positive attitude David, your enthusiasm is contagious and inspiring.

[@beek]

Thanks Halley, I was raised to treat people with kindness and to smile and help people. I try to inspire others because I love being inspired myself! Thanks for noticing.

[@WildwoodsBeekeeping]

Great video David! Good stuff to know, great info David and thank ya for sharing! Take care

[@user-vh3gf9eo7t]

Great video. I am learning all I can about beekeeping before I actually get started. I am in the process of going through your beginner playlist. Thank yo for all you do.

[@d.l.f.4813]

Thanks for sharing this information!!

[@SGPbees]

Thank you for recommending testing for mites. One of the best things I took from my master beekeeper classes was gaining the confidence to collect bees and test for mites. I also use the alcohol wash. It is sad sacrificing bees, but it is the best thing for the rest of the colony. Thank you!

[@BlaineNay]

I like to say that winter preparation begins in March by keeping the mite count below 2% ALL SEASON LONG until first frost in October. I keep up monthly mite counts so late because I know that colonies are collapsing in my area that late due to mites and beekeeper neglect. Even when keeping mite counts down all season long, it is not uncommon to see a spike in October -- probably because of a "mite bomb". Because I pay attention to mites, I have 90-100% wintering success. It's not that hard.

[@beek]

Yes I do the same thing and will be explaining that in my next video.

[@kathrynjanes6977]

Thank you for the document!! Downloaded and will be studying it.

[@beek]

Wonderful!

[@HeBe2Beefd]

David I will say you missed the mark when you said “I know you” - nothing makes me more excited than forging my own path on something that doesn’t have a set formula! Love the videos and the highly severe and contagious passion you have for bees, keep up the great work!

[@irabakiev9537]

Thanks for your lessons and time

[@liamaiden2313]

Im using CO2 for mite tests, seems to work nicely and no bees dead. Im really working towards better and other methods to control mites. One of the big issues I have is my hives robbing other infected hives in the area (not mine) or wild colonies thus re-infecting mine, especially just before winter sets in. These mite videos are very useful, thanks.

[@HoytAnthony]

Great, set! Great lighting! You are really going to have to work hard to beat those!

[@johnbush3610]

You were one of my first and most influential beekeeping resources. Not just for your knowledge but also our similar regional challenges (Kankakee area). I enjoy your videos and watching their evolution over the years.

[@beek]

Thanks I’ll be speaking up your way in March

[@Jane-L.S.]

Thank you for making a difference in helping the bees, sir. You are a blessing for the bees and in turn for the bee keepers.

[@beek]

So nice of you

[@lisaschwenning2801]

I'm completely new to beekeeping. My first class is this Saturday and I plan to get my first colony this spring. You have been an amazing help to me with your teaching. Thank you.

[@beek]

Thank you Lisa and good luck in your class

[@tonyt.1596]

Thank you so much for the varroa mite download it is going to help me be informed as I learn more about better bee keeping.

[@beek]

So nice of you and hope it is helpful.

[@davidmartin6312]

Great Video Dave, i can appreciate your "to the Point" subject matter .

[@beek]

I appreciate that!

[@kylefrench7985]

David great video you truly are the Mister Rogers of beekeeping I'm glad to be part of your neighborhood

[@beek]

Thanks Kyle, many people have said that

[@amys1423]

Thanks for the great video! I've been learning so much about keeping my bees and I appreciate the access to the videos, and I did get your beekeeping course and I would recommend your course to anyone looking to get into beekeeping. It might seem expensive but it's cheaper than losing your bees. I was successful getting my one colony of bees to over winter and now my goal is to keep them alive next winter!! I did find mites on some of my drones this spring. I've got some additional testing to do!

[@beek]

Nice to hear Amy!!

[@uselessness8562]

As a fellow David, I say thank you for all your information, I didn’t think at 21 I’d be wanting bees but I did grow up on a farm haha. I just wanted to say I am loving and learning so much from your content, also buying and reading up books, and I’m soon gonna outreach to a guy up the road who has 5 colonies to see if I can help him for experience. Keep up the amazing content David!

[@beek]

Well thank you so much David! Glad you are enjoying the content.

[@carrollrhodes4050]

David, thank you for telling people to read the label. Some of the chemicals can be very dangerous. Love your videos and keep up the good work.

[@beek]

Label is the law

[@sandrakinstle4332]

That was fun thanks

[@pirateprospecting707]

Great video buddy! You explained everything very well. It's definitely regional of how you treat👍😁

[@beek]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@naturalwitchery]

I am gearing my first nuc this week. I've been learning all I can and mites are terrifying for me! 😮 I also don't eat meat or dairy, so I am looking deeply at how to ethically test.

[@Troop-du9wu]

Fingers crossed I will be managing three hives come the spring of 23. Fingers crossed they all survive the winter. If they do, hope to split them into six by fall. I really enjoy your KZbin posts. Thanks for the guidance and inspiration!

[@beek]

You can do it! Glad you enjoy my channel and that the videos are helpful.

[@johnlawler3353]

Picked up an InstantVap at the Hive Life Conference and I’ve already hit colonies with 2 rounds this month when it warmed up here in Ohio. Expensive but losing colonies is more expensive.

[@LonelyLittleBaby]

David, you do a great job with your videos. I really enjoy your content. I just got 2 hives and a local beekeeper to help me get started. I'm looking forward to my new Bee-Life. Did you find an editor yet?

[@beek]

Thanks for your compliments. I don't think I can ever give up editing. I love it too much even thought it soooo slows down and prevents me from making more videos.

[@user-wv5ww6om9k]

Hey David I’m from W.Texas and I’m a brand new keeper of bees and I’m researching and watching your videos to get better acquainted with a lot of what I need to know. If you have any suggestions for me please feel free to give me any advice

[@jaredgodwin5956]

If you have 2 deeps in your hive do you need a green drone comb in each?

[@victorkulynycz1397]

Make a picture of an audience and post it up behind camera or put up a big screen tv and put a looping video of an audience lol😁 Solid bottom boards on 7 hives right now but have a couple of screened bottoms thinking about trying this year, Good info as always BTW

[@beek]

I've actually thought of doing that.

[@John4.23-24]

Great information, do you think a green droan frame could be used for a layens horizontal hive?? I know you are using traditional type hiv t I was wondering if this could Help to keep the mites at bay. I've never heard if this could be used with this type of hive....i want to try to control as clean(chemical free) as possible.

[@Farlomous]

i just looked up a study about a predatory mite (Stratiolaelaps scimitus) formerly known as Hypoapsis mites that are pretty good at taking down parasitic mites since another youtuber used them to get rid of a mite investation on his ants. sadly tho they do kill varroa, they occasionally go after Bee eggs and larva (not as much) and like you said about mites not being able to climb, the good mites have problems climbing up high enough in the hive to do enough good. The bees are pretty good at sheparding them away from their brood, but they just aren't enough to get rid of the varroa in big enough numbers to be reasonably used.

[@beek]

There are many things that people bring up that sound hopeful but nothing much becomes of them.

[@SylantBill]

How does caging the queen effect the overall population of the hive as far as nurse bees for the brood?

[@SMButler]

Your queen raising series pushed me into getting started. Have two nucs on order for this spring. Getting the rest of the equipment organized so I'll be ready. When do your classes go on sale again? Valentines?

[@beek]

Hi Steve, I really am not sure but historically we've had a sale on the first day of spring. Might happen again, not sure.

[@temijinkahn511]

David, do you find less drone brood on other frames when you use a green drone brood frame? Has there been any studies done that show these drone frames reducing the occurrence of mites on adjacent frames? Do we have any observations of a mite passing up a normal cell in order to lay eggs in a drone cell? Could it be that we observe more mites in drone cells because the larger bee can support more parasites than a worker bee and not that the mite is showing preference? My concern is we are removing a frame that has utility from the hive for one that may not have been proven scientifically to reduce mite populations. Since we are treating for mites anyway, if the drone frame isn’t going to reduce the need for treatment, why bother?

[@christinecontelmo9264]

I like the index card idea! It’s all so confusing with all the variables a hive can have.

[@beek]

Yes, I used index cards in studying different languages and in studying for my master beekeeper's certification. It's a big help.

[@dey4588]

Why no inner cover? Thanks!!!

[@charliegioe3158]

David how do you feel about taking the sticky board and using that as a Mite test? Would you consider mites in the tic family Charlie , PA

[@Max-po5sx]

See David that's where we differ as for treating for mites out here in California. The rule of thumb is always just treat for mites regardless because everybody's got mites can you get on a regiment and just treat for mites. My mentor told me even as a hobbyist you should just automatically treat for mine

[@beek]

I mean you can, but none of us would shampoo every day with pyrethrins, permethrin, or malathion (lice shampoo)just in case we might get hair lice. It would be expensive and you may not know if your mode of treatment is even working without testing.

[@Max-po5sx]

@@beek totally agree with you about the shampooing thing for lice. I guess I've been influenced by commercial beekeepers I'm out here in Fresno County California area so we're at the Hub of the Almond Bloom and all the migratory beekeepers it show up. My mentor has just always told me to get on a regiment of medicating I don't use the hard chemicals I vaporized with oxalic acid but I do agree with you in a perfect world testings where it's at... I'm a small-time hobbyist with for hives three kids and a full-time job so I just jumped on the regiment bad wagon. I know I definitely would be evil to some people for medicating without testing. 🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️

[@billyboy952]

hey max, over the years I have found it best to treat all my hives from march-April thru the late fall. no scientific proof than too much OA will harm the bees. this works for me.. o always say keep iy simple!!

[@josephvenezia3481]

Is it possible to have only one mite per three hundred? Or did I do the test wrong, I shook and shook the alcahol wash and then rinsed it twice

[@a-beehoney6408]

You are doing a really great job. I want to support you. Tell me how to make a donation outside of your Thursday podcast.

[@beek]

Thank you so much. You can send it snail mail. PO Box 254, Catlin IL 61817. Thanks for thinking of us. I appreciate it.

[@reefermaker]

From what I can see in the UK we go one stage further with the screened bottom boards. They have underfloor entrances as well to help prevent yellow jackets/wasps from getting in. There's a DIY on Black Mountain Honey.

[@justinhardy1184]

Excellent information about controlling varroa mites David. So with a screen bottom board would you recommend sprinkling some DE ( diatomaceous earth) under said bottom board so that when the mites fall through the DE can help eliminate the varroa mite and the SBH ( small hive beetle) larvae? Or would the DE not really do anything for varroa mites?

[@beek]

Just don't let the bees get into it.

[@bobhicks2762]

David, is there anywhere I can get the bottom board for 8 frame boxes? And thank you for the document on mites.

[@beek]

No sorry

[@laliandtiago]

You could get bobble head Dave a pair of LOL doll sunglasses. They would be very fashion 👌🏻

[@beek]

Great idea

[@vanessaparkman8803]

Why no inner cover?

[@thesunbuney5048]

David how long do mites live if you have no brood and just finished using apigaurd a few weeks ago?

[@beek]

It’s best to wait 10-14 days after treatment then do another mite test.

[@LoneWolf0568]

I stuck with the powdered sugar test this year because it is my 1st colony that was just started in May. The lack of rain and the nasty heat over the Summer, didn't allow the hive to grow like it normally would have. So killing 300 bees a month just didn't sit right with me with an already lower than normal number of bees. We'll see what this year brings. Now for the treatment to control the population of mites, I want to go as natural (chemical free) as possible. I was told that essential oils, (Thyme mainly and Honey B Healthy) took care of mites. What are your thoughts on that?

[@beek]

I do not have experience or data on that. Sorry

[@HighFlight2k2]

Thanks Dave. Curious what your thoughts are on using CO2 instead of alcohol?

[@beek]

I made a video on it.

[@Zarealy]

You're going make master beekeepers out of us yet. I just found out that I have a VSH breeder a couple of hours away from me. I'm going to get a couple of queens from him and graft out of their boxes for a couple of years and see how it goes. Some of those VSH guys have have been treatment free for over 20 years. Crazy.

[@beek]

Hi Luke, thanks for your earlier notification you sent me. Be sure and test for mites through the season to see if the proof is in the pudding. It another queen from a non VSH line.

[@temijinkahn511]

David, do virus infected bees spread the viruses when they feed brood and each other? Can the honey or bee bread be contaminated with a virus from an infected bee?

[@beek]

When they feed each other yes, and studies show yes on bee bread pollen and honey in the hive.

[@jackiebusch4626]

Thanks for your KZbin videos. Love coffee time too. I sent you a Christmas card 3 wks ago about an issue. I don't know if I sent it to the right address. I want to know what your policy is on the issue I presented to you.

[@robertevans7218]

We inspected our hives a couple of weeks ago and found that one of the colonies was dead all of the bees were on the bottom board. What would cause that.

[@beek]

One might think of a pesticide kill. Bees may have gone to an orchard or crop with pesticides were sprayed.

[@remihypolite7289]

Teach us how to get honey

[@geowine1429]

Hey David, what about CO2? I saw a KZbin on this recently and it allows the bees to recover from the treatment. Also being a newbie on a budget I am always looking for cost savings and DIY projects. Thanks, loyal fan.

[@beek]

Yes I've tested that out, here's the video I made a long, long, long time ago on CO2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3eZqGiriNaVoZI

[@patrickmcauley151]

How often can you powder sugar your bee’s every three weeks

[@beek]

Once a week when it's warm out.

[@whiteru55ian33]

I’ve heard there are certain plants that help prevent varroa mites like mints,thyme and lavender to name a few. how idk. I guess they don’t like the scent when the pollen comes in? Idk. Anyways my questions are have you heard about it? Have you planted these plants around your hives and noticed any difference? In mite levels. Also mint should keep mice away too because they hate the smell peppermint or spearmint.

[@beek]

Yes, I've heard about this for many years and most beekeepers who have tried it tell me they were not very helpful. But every beekeeper is different and bees and the environment is different from one beekeeper to the next, so try it, but keep good records on before and after to gather solid data. Remember when using smelly things that bees use smell to communicate so this could throw off the colony's communication, who knows.

[@MrSnapper1d]

I dont use inner covers either!

[@eliinthewolverinestate6729]

Caging the queen for a brood break is great idea.

[@beek]

Works really well

[@temijinkahn511]

David, what about queen cells. Using the same logic for drone cells, queen cells should be crawling with mites and producing damaged week queens. I’ve found nothing on this. Have you?

[@beek]

Queen emerge 16 days from the egg, drones 24, so mites would not be as likely to enter queen cells and they are usually not available, but it does happen.

[@mark_coyle]

Do you know if there is any correlation between Wood Sorrel (Oxalis) and varroa mites? Wood sorrel is a prolific plant.

[@beek]

Sorry, nope

[@mark_coyle]

I thought it was an interesting idea.

[@zoobee4824]

OK I seem to have missed the fact that you roast your own coffee!!! What roaster and how long have you been doing it?? ( I'm a yr in ) Also, missed the no top cover??? I need new hearing aids lol, Thanks for the mite vid, always need help with that! Coffee vid coming soon??

[@beek]

I said No inner cover, got to have a top cover. I've been roasting bees for years and year, not sure how long. Somewhere on my channel I show in one video the whole process and my roaster etc. Not sure which one.☕️

[@johndowning1111]

How dark of a frame can you reuse or reintroduce back into a new colony?

[@beek]

Usually if it's too dark to see light through it it's too dark. But changing them out every 5 years helps greatly.

[@kevinward7498]

I'm just starting to learn about beekeeping. Does anyone know if diatomaceous earth/dust kills bees? Maybe it would kill the mites. Chickens take dust baths to help control parasites, in which diatomaceous earth can be added. It can be put in their food for internal parasites too, it cuts up the bodies of soft-bodied insects and worms causing dehydration and death. I think it probably wouldn't hurt a bee, but I think those mites are probably rather tender like aphids.

[@kennethhoward4904]

I know I'm new to the game David This will be my 3rd year I'm having good luck with my bees so far this winthey are in a building that's inside of a building And I made them up some PollenPatty's the other day But here's the Verona mites how I spot them is In the Summer and fall info I take pictures With my smartphone And then I put it on my big screen I blow it up And spot the Verona mites that way And if the bees have them you will be able to spot them

[@beek]

Hi Kenneth just remember there are lots more mites below the capped bee pupae than on adult bees.

[@Chix_Deer_Farm_Learning]

First!

[@beeawesome7140]

Yay, you've peaked!

[@duane468ify]

Out of curiosity, why no inner covers?

[@beek]

Here my video explaining why I generally do not use inner covers: kzbin.info/www/bejne/faHFgoefmrSJrcU

[@duane468ify]

Thank you for that video. I’ve always wondered if it was necessary. Mine get stuck in the telescoping covered often.

[@jeffwolodkiewicz3209]

Why don’t you use an inner cover?

[@beek]

Here's a video I made about that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/faHFgoefmrSJrcU

[@leonunlimited7552]

CANADA IS BIGGER THAN YOU THINK, DAVID!

[@winsomewife7112]

I'm a new beekeeper, but how did honeybees survive for thousands of years with no mite treatments by people? I mean, why can't we do beekeeping without chemical treatments? What if the economy causes an inability to be able to do the typical mite treatments?

[@beek]

The world became smaller and mites jumped species and our bees had no resistance or ability to deal with it. I hope you can join my livestream tonight at 7pm central time. Here's the link: I hope you can enjoy my livestream tonight at 7pm. Here's the link: kzbin.infoRHGE5_tnl5A

[@gallucciococ8943]

Someone needs to develop a mite to eat those mites.

[@GaryManess]

David Why can't we just test 100 bees why does it have to be 300 bees?

[@beek]

Could but by using 300, it helps average out the count on 100.

[@temijinkahn511]

David, Russian honeybees have been shown to be one third to half as susceptible to mites. Why is there not a campaign to switch to Russian variety of bees?

[@beek]

Oh there has been for many many years. I ran them years ago.

[@rstlr01]

Russian colony personality in July is much different than in September. I can work them in a T-shirt until the middle of August after that it is full battle dress. Most keeps don’t want a face full of bees as the experience especially as a hobbyist!😅

[@lisacarol1433]

Ack. I don't want any mites on my bees:)

[@leonunlimited7552]

TORONTO IS NOT EVEN SIMILAR TO VANCOUVER!!! NEWFOUNDLAND IS DIFFERENT AGAIN!