HUGHSON, CALIFORNIA (RFD News) — Pollinators remain top of mind for entomologists, as beekeepers continue to deal with a long-standing threat to honeybees. California beekeeper Matt Beekman with California Apiaries says the biggest issue is the Varroa mite, a pest that has persisted for decades.
“We’ve had this problem for almost 50 years now, struggled with it almost on a yearly basis,” Beekman says. “This is a highly, highly successful biological insect. It replicates extremely fast; can move to a single-site apiary very fast; can attach to bees, and cover a large territory very fast. With that, fortunately, we in the bee industry have essentially been approved for one chemical treatment in the last 20 years, which is Amitraz-based.”
Beekman says managing the mites has meant relying on limited treatment options and adjusting strategies each year.
“We can rotate that treatment with other — what we consider — softer treatments,” Beekman explains. “So, the bee industry really is left struggling, trying to develop some treatment protocols that vary every year. What is encouraging is that this year there have been two new products approved, Vroxan and Neuroa. Vroxan is an oxalic acid-based treatment. Neuroa is what you consider an mRNA treatment. Very new technology.”
He says the newer approach works by disrupting reproduction rather than killing the mites outright, and could cost beekeepers around $74 per colony each year.
