Not to sound like a broken record and keep repeating myself on treating for mites. A couple of mite treatment products have been a topic of discussion in the beekeeping community lately, Apiguard and Apivar 2.0. The treatments haven’t had the desired effect on mite populations for some beekeepers. Fall is the time of the year when beekeepers really try to knock mite populations down to have a healthy population of winter bees. There are some lessons to be learned here. Not about the product, but the methods we use to treat for mites.

Apiguard for some beekeepers has not lowered their mite counts. To some, that was a surprising result because of the success of this product in past uses. The lesson to learn here is no matter what the treatment, you need to do a mite wash after that treatment to know if the treatment lowered the hive’s mite population. Not doing so gives a false security that you did indeed accomplish lowering the mite population, and risks the survival of your hive. To truly know, do a mite wash after each treatment.

Apivar 2.0 is a new product on the market and put another tool in the beekeeper’s tool box to control mites. Some beekeepers have reported significant hive losses after using this product. The lesson to learn is that when trying something new in your beekeeping operation only try the new item on a few of your hives not the whole apiary. That is a good practice to follow on any changes you are considering.

Another important lesson to learn is always have a plan B in mind if plan A doesn’t work for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. The season is getting late and mite treatment options become limited due to time and temperature. So, this winter as you think about your mite treatment plan for next year, have a plan B so you are not caught off guard.

As you are doing your mite treatments, it is also a good time to note maintenance that needs to be done on your equipment. Time to get the winter task list started.

Chris Groth, President, Brown County Beekeepers Association