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• Walking the Walk Selective Breeding for Mite Resistance; 2022 Update, Part 1

  Contents Resistance vs. Tolerance or “Survival” 1 Managed apiaries vs. natural evolution. 2 Background. 3 The necessity of Mechanical Agitators 3 The resistant colonies 6 So what’s our progress so far?. 10 A built-in lag inherent in open mating programs 13 Exhibit A: Mite-count tracking for our 2022 breeders 14 Coming. 16 References. 16   […]

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• 2022 Extended-release Oxalic Update Part 3

  Contents The slow effect of OaE. 1 Mite turnover 3 A bothersome question. 5 You don’t need to kill a single mite in order to control varroa! 5 Varroa’s world: Olfaction, taste, and touch. 7 Disruption of mite sensory perception. 9 “Blinding” or irritant?. 9 A relevant question. 9 Wrap Up. 10 Citations and notes […]

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• 2022 Extended-release Oxalic (OAE) Update Part 2

  Contents An additional test of matrices and OA:gly ratios. 1 Cardboard Strips vs. Sponges. 3 Compostability of spent sponges. 3 A winter field trial 4 Methods. 5 Results. 9 Discussion. 11 The Elephant in the Room.. 12 Reality Check. 12 A possible easy solution for getting us legal 13 Citations and notes. 15     […]

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• The varroa incursion in Australia 4 July 2022

  I’ve been speaking on a daily basis with one of the two beekeepers whose operations are infested, as well as others in the industry. So far, over 1000 of their colonies have been euthanized, with many more planned to be burned.  As you can imagine, this is very emotional for those beekeepers, who have also been prevented from […]

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• Instructions for extended-release oxalic acid

  Extended-release oxalic acid for varroa management This method of application of oxalic acid is not yet approved by the EPA.  However, EPA does not require an Experimental Use Permit for a limited number of hives.  Check with your State Lead Agency. Safety Although oxalic acid is not as reactive as stronger mineral acids, it can […]

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• 2022 Extended-Release Oxalic Update: Part 1

  2022 Extended-Release Oxalic Update Part 1 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in ABJ March 2022   As more and more beekeepers try to wean themselves off amitraz, there is great interest in oxalic acid.  Unfortunately, a dose of OA by any of the currently-approved application methods exhibits little residual action, so has limited efficacy if […]

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• An Online Model for Varroa Management

  An Online Model for Varroa Management Randy Oliver and Trish Harness First published in ABJ February 2022   Beekeepers worldwide have been using Randy’s Varroa Model with great success since its release in 2017.  But there has been a demand for an online version that did not require Excel, and could be used on a […]

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• Hopguard 3 as a Summer Treatment

  HOPGUARD 3 AS A SUMMER TREATMENT Beekeeper-Funded Research Randy Oliver, with collaboration by Aris Roberts First published in ABJ February 2022   In the summer of 2020, I tested using Hopguard 3 to control varroa. Unfortunately, the label was not clear, and I didn’t realize that for summer treatment I was allowed to repeat the […]

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• Observations on Pollen Subs: Part 4- Nectar, Water, and Humidity

  Observations on Pollen Subs:  Part 4 Nectar, Water, and Humidity First published in ABJ January 2022 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com   Last month I pointed out that there is something about even a light natural pollen flow that seems to increase a colony’s response to fed pollen sub. But a light pollen flow is often also […]

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• A Comparative Trial of the Pollen Subs: Part 6- Do We Need to Revise De Groot?

  A COMPARATIVE TRIAL OF THE POLLEN SUBS Part 6: DO WE NEED TO REVISE DE GROOT? Beekeeper-Funded Research First Published in ABJ December 2021 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com Bee nutritionists have long cited the essential amino acid ratios suggested by de Groot in 1953. But he himself pointed out the shortcomings of his methods and qualified […]

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