Please note that Geoff Bazin will shortly be putting in a bulk order for Apiguard. Apiguard is a recommended treatment for Varroa and needs to be administered at the end of the main flow, but before giving the winter feed. This is an ideal opportunity available only for PBKA members to obtain this Varroa treatment at a favourable cost. Please contact Geoff with your order before the end of July at the very latest.
Varroa
Study Explains Deformed Wing Virus and Varroa Mite Relationship
The team, led by Dr Stephen Martin from the University of Sheffield working in Hawaii, has identified how Varroa results in a lethal strain of the Deformed Wing Virus becoming dominant in the bee colony.
See coverage of the report on the BBC Nature or, better, the Guardian website.
National Bee Unit Update No. 8
This is a link to the recently updated Managing Varroa leaflet as well as the new Small Hive Beetle which contains a few small amendments.
It is the NBU’s intention to have a limited number of hard copies available before April. If, and when, these do become available a note will be added to the website.
Varroa Management using Icing Sugar
Since its arrival in Wales in 1994 the varroa mite has become the major threat to honeybees. It is also evolving resistance to the treatments originally used to manage it. You should monitor the level of the mite in your hives regularly and take action to deal with infestation.
These articles from Scientific Beekeeping may be of interest if you want more information about using icing sugar (powdered sugar) as a non-chemical method of mite control.
Pembrokeshire Beekeepers' Association 