Should You Treat Your Bees For Varroa Mites?

Should you treat your bees for varroa mites? That is the question!
If you have spent any kind of time scrolling the internet around bees and varroa mites you would have no doubt come up against this debate. Treatment free beekeeping or treat your bees.
For me as a Beefarmer and someone who produces honey to sell and nucs of bees to sell its a simple yes from me.
If you don't treat your bees against varroa your bees will die. Its as simple as that. Varroa mites have not been in this country long. They have been in the UK since 1992. to expect bees to adapt to them this fast is crazy. Evolution takes millions of years to work. A couple of decades is nothing.
The most important thing when you're keeping bees or any kind of livestock is that they are healthy. Healthy bees produce honey.
Healthy bees produce beeswax,
Healthy bees produce bees
Healthy bees makes you money
Another aspect of why I think you should treat bees for varroa mites is for welfare reasons. Bees are livestock we should not let them suffer.
If farmers didn't treat their cattle and sheep for parasites their animals would die and the farm would get shut down.
So basically that's my take on it. Hope you enjoy the video.
If you want to see how to use the treatment in this video
How to use Apivar
• How to use Apivar To T...
To find out more about me you you can visit my website on;
gwenyngruffydd...
Or find me on Social Media on @GwenynGruffydd

[@richardnoel3141]

Is it is possible to go down the road of being treatment free but you need a lot of criteria and experience to be able to breed in selective traits. VSH is an ever growing method and many people I know have Treatment free apiaries. The main issue is once you go through the first couple of years you do end up with as you say losing a lot of colonies, having colonies that are generally weak but they kinda live but don’t do anything and also you will have a some that you want to breed from But it’s how you select those traits afterwards and with all VSH breeding it’s a trade-off because obviously when you select for the right traits you’re gonna to loose some of the other ones and that’s why some people say it’s better To just be breeding from your strongest colonies that are really robust and produce huge massive colonies. I’m not treatment free I cage my queen is in the summer and that seems to work pretty well and I do treat my nucs with Apivar like you do. The problem is as well when you do produce queens that I said to have VHS resistant traits often you bring them to a new environment and they lose a lot of that desired resistance. Many would argue who are VHS breeders that they can produce stable queens but I’m yet to see any. Certainly from the Buckfast side it is apparently 10 years away according to some of the top breeders but the jury is out. I’ve heard this for the last five years very soon they’ll be a 100% resistant bee that is brilliant at everything but I’m still waiting. I don’t wanna be negative but that’s the reality of things until then we must keep treating to a certain point where we can allow the bees maybe to develop a little bit of resistance themselves but also step in all the time and oversee the levels. Ask yourself this question also , how many years have we been selecting Bees for the Docility and how often do we still get these that are not well-behaved all the time. If you think about that gives you an idea of how long it’s gonna take to breed in Varroa mite resistance into the general stock.the genetic diversity huge out there! 🤷🏼‍♂️🐝

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Excellent points there. 👏🏻👏🏻

[@citrumpet1]

Some very good points here. I always enjoy watching your videos and respect your opinions. I have to say I do treat with oxalic acid (I live in the northern US) but since I stopped importing heavily chemically treated commercial bees into my apiary from the south and have been splitting my own hives with Livan genetics... I split from the strongest and most healthy stock in spring and summer... for a few years now I hardly have to treat any more. I knock the mites down when the colonies are broodless in mid winter but that has been it. Not saying this is the answer to our varroa problems but I have seen results. If everyone keeps treating with chemicals the bees don't have a chance to fight and we end up producing weaker bees and more resistant mites. That is already proven in resistance to amitraz etc. I fear if we keep going down the heavy chemical treatment road we're not going to make much progress. Granted I don't sell bees but if I did my varroa numbers would probably be less than what's in the imported packages I used to buy. I do realize that many beekeepers have no choice. The time is coming when better organic treatments will be discovered however such as slow release oxalic which is promising. Best of luck.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Yes I believe slow oxalic acid release could be a game changer 🤞🏻🤞🏻

[@Cubrider]

My mate bragged he hasn't treated for 5 years. This year he has 2 very weak colonies out of 10. Thats 8 dead. Hmmm I will keep treating

[@Vaidelotelis]

Thank you for the voice of reason. My heart breaks when I see the treatment free advocates on social media spouting their nonsense and new beekeepers falling for that

[@joemurphy9974]

Great video as always! Always straight to the point and lots of info, definitely one of the top bee youtubers out there! Completely agree on the hive alive too, great stuff!

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thanks Joe 😊

[@Peter_Gunn]

I definitely believe we should treat our bees and I think this is one of the best explanations on why we should. Great job.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thank you 😊

[@dominicpearson9969]

Great video, spoken with passion and dedication. 👍🏻👍🏻👏👏🐝🐝🍯🍯

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thank you 😊

[@dickymint4109]

Gruff your videos always make me chuckle but this one was quite emotional and thought provoking mate........well done

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thank you 😊 glad it came across well.

[@tonnehead777]

Hit the nail on the head there. Literally took the words out of my mouth at 10:00.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thanks 😊

[@toddhorting4419]

The problem is being solved as we speak even if you treat and don’t select for anything but good bees. If you just breed on healthy bees, you have been selecting for varroa resistant traits. Even if you treat your bees varroa still gets a percentage of them. I treat but am not a heavy treater, I use something like formic acid or thymol after removing honey supers and OAV in the broodless period in the winter. It’s getting better and once the traits start being identified nature will do the rest rather quickly (about 100 years) and we are half way there.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

I hope your right

[@themaverickbeekeeper]

I definitely treat, but on a fact-finding mission about Treatment Free and asking known authorities, was met with a lot of hostility when I asked what results were coming up with colonies showing resistance, a real shame.

[@acrewoodapiary4741]

I am a firm believer you get out what you put in. I can also say I used hive alive last year and brought every single colony through winter, no losses.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

That’s great no know! 😊👍🏻

[@paulajones6366]

I always treat my bees my mentor told me to do it and I don’t even count them I just feel it’s like treating cats for fleas and worms.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

100%

[@_J.F_]

It would be lovely if we never had to worry about Varroa ever again but until that day occurs it makes a lot sense to treat for the mites. Not only is it financially sound - treatment costs very little compared to replacing a dead colony - but this is also about animal welfare, and about containing disease that can otherwise very quickly be spread from heavily infected hives to entire apiaries.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

100%

[@williamneary232]

Thanks, sound thoughts, I will continue to treat my colonies yearly but if I have a hive that has few varroa then I will breed from that one. Love the videos

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thank you 😊

[@barryduke8329]

I agree that we need to treat and help the bees through problems caused by varroa and as you mention the wild colonies, they are not being treated, so could they already have some resistance starting. Bees have so many “switched off” genes, there could be a gene there that will help, as I am sure in the many years honey bees have been around, they must have dealt with some sort of parasitic pest in the past. Here’s hoping.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

🤞🏻

[@christopherroop4937]

I use super DFM and I really think it makes a difference, Second year beekeeper. Central Indiana, Zero ☠️ out so far 🤞🏼 Thanks for the video!

[@gwenyngruffydd]

What is Super DFM?

[@christopherroop4937]

@@gwenyngruffydd It’s a probiotic for bees.

[@ME_MeAndMyBees]

Gwen G... I went and "Googled it..." 👀 : Apparently its Bee Prebiotics : Gut Health Product, (Stateside 🇺🇲) May"Bee" an Actimel !?! Kinda "Acti-Miel 🤭... (I'll stop the Puns !) 🤣 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 Happy Beekeeping 2022. 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 Been doing Bees for 2 Years now. Had a great Season this year, building up my Apiary Numbers. Have x3 Nucs as Spares, as last Winter (21-22) I had x4 Colonies and lost x2 ! One was OK at beginning of April, yet a Dead out 3 Weeks later ! (Had a horrible week of Hard Frost... Bees, bless, starved out x1 inch away from their Resources !) Went through Winter, to just snuff it when Spring had nearly Sprung. 😖 Anyway, Hive Alive is fab. Made a big difference to Colony strength & Bee quality. Wish it was a bit cheaper, or came as BOGOF ! Buy one, get one Free. 👍 Scottish 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Beekeeper saving the Bees and the Pounds and Pence ! Own Bees doing 'Queen Rearing' came in handy ! Everyone, should try it in their 2nd Year of Bees. Bees taught me a lot ! 😎

[@won2winit]

Amitraz used last year and switched to Formic Pro this year and probably switch again or back to Amitraz to save building any resistance. But didn't use Oxalic so probably won't again this year, mainly as all hives/nucs had brood breaks so the FP should have had verg few to clear out.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Great method to alternate treatments 😊👍🏻

[@joemurphy9974]

How did the bees and in particular queens react to Formic pro? Heard it’s a bit hard on the bees but very effective against varroa. I’ve got some in at the moment.

[@won2winit]

@@joemurphy9974 The info from my association was to only use 1 strip for nationals just like MAQS, have also read same for 5 frames of brood. Nucs as inly small entrances used 1/2 a strip for a double nuc on 12 frames with 6 frames of brood and 1/4 for single brood with 2 frames of brood. Had some dead bees but queen survived.

[@joemurphy9974]

@@won2winit thanks for the info! I’ve gone for Thymovar this season and will keep the Formic Pro if a quick treatment is needed in spring time, as it only needs 2 weeks. The effectiveness and short treatment period definitely make it a treatment worth having around.

[@damienboyington4057]

Thanks for clarifying that, wanting to go organic as possible but yes point taken 🙂. The boys loved the honey....Arlo almost ate the whole jar.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

No problem, you can still go organic. There are plenty of good organic treatments on the market. Glad to hear it 😊 thanks again for coming down. Hope to see you all again 😊👍🏻

[@gwenyngruffydd]

But remember the honey can never be called organic.

[@damienboyington4057]

Ye i know (the forage). You sure will.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

😊👍🏻

[@damienboyington4057]

@@gwenyngruffydd congratulations on your brood. She look lovely. 👼💛🖤

[@markjohnadams1293]

The L200 is doing great and happily still carrying bees.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Great to hear it. Car matts are here too next time your passing 😊👍🏻

[@ilieselhamri7808]

hello what type of bees do you have

[@gwenyngruffydd]

We keep 2 types of bees. Black bees and buckfast bees

[@joemurphy9974]

When did you start your varroa treatments? I’ve been a bit behind schedule and thought I got my Thymovar on a bit late, but maybe I’m alright then.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

I’m still putting strips in now. Would have liked to do it last week but we had a baby! Getting around them all this week

[@soupvis2616]

It is V A R R O A

[@gwenyngruffydd]

I’m pretty sure it’s Varroa

[@soupvis2616]

@@gwenyngruffydd Yes and you say varora

[@gwenyngruffydd]

I can’t help how my accent sounds!?

[@soupvis2616]

@@duncanhall9874 No , i don't know what varora is

[@acrewoodapiary4741]

It’s his accent, don’t be so rude.

[@gege4707]

Is it too late to treat for varroa in early november. If it isnt then what would be an appropriate treatment for this time of year.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Oxalic acid vaping would be your best bet now.