Update - The EPA Has approved Oxalic acid for the treatment of Varroa Destructor in honey bee colonies! See this link for the EPA Document

Now you can get Varroa Mite Treatment Service

 What is Varroa Destructor?

 Varroa Mite, an invasive pest of the honey bee is destroying hives at an alarming rate. Varroa Destructor is not a native species to North America. As such our bees have no natural defense against this parasite. The truth is that varroa destructor will kill your hives. It usually does this over the winter. However, the mite causes issues all year as they carry many viruses which affect honey bees, such as deformed wing virus among others. The mites cause anemia in the bees and drastically reduce overall hive population in all seasons. This causes low brood production and with fewer bees, lower honey yields. Getting a varroa mite treatment service helps cure these issues.

Do you have varroa mites?

If you keep bees in North America, you likely have varroa mites. You can choose to treat and ensure a healthy population of bees, or you can decide not to treat and constantly replace your hives which were too weakened by mites and die over the winter or even in the summer! Not treating also does a disservice to neighboring beehives as the mites transfer from bee to bee at the nectar locations all bees frequent. In other words, if you have mites, you are giving them to your neighbors! You can help by getting a varroa mite treatment service.

How do I test for mites?

The mites are small and are hard to see on fast moving bees. The preferred method to test for them is with an alcohol wash. To test, you will need this product, it's inexpensive and easy to use shaker which can be used with alcohol or powdered sugar. Next, shake about 1/2 cup of bees (app. 300 bees) into a tub. Use the measuring cup to scoop up the bees and drop them in the jar. Place the lid on the jar and shake the bees vigorously in the alcohol for at least 20 seconds. The mites in an effort to not die will detach from the bees and will sink to the bottom. You may not like killing 300 bees, but it is better than losing 50,000 per season in a small bee yard due to high mite levels.

Next, count the mites in the bottom of the jar then divide by 3 to get your % mite level. For instance, if you get 10 mites divide 10 by 3 for a 3.33% infestation. You should treat any hive that has a 3% or higher infestation or 6 mites or more per 300 bees. If you have mites you need the varroa mite treatment service.

You do not need to test for mites if you treat once in the spring, mid-summer and fall, you will keep a handle on the mite levels without the need to test.

I have mites what do I do?

We offer varroa mite treatment service in Lenoir, Greene, Pitt, Craven, Duplin, Wayne and Jones counties. The cost is $5.00 per hive plus a $35 travel/fuel fee. There is a large discount for a large number of hives. The more hives, the larger the discount. If brood is still present at the time of treatment the treatment must be repeated three times to get 100% mite kill. This is due to the fact that treatment does not kill mites which are incubating inside of sealed brood cells. The first treatment kills exposed mites, the second treatment done 5 days later kills hatching mites and the last treatment in another 5 days kills the last of the mites. The price is per treatment day, not for the whole series. You can treat just once if you have us come out in the late fall early winter. The queen will have stopped brood production and therefore there will be no mites in sealed brood. So the first treatment will be all you need.

We treat using an oxalic acid vaporizer placed directly in the entrance to the hive, or from the rear if your hive is equipped with a hive beetle trap or screened bottom board. We do not fog or drizzle.

How do I order this service?

We currently offer assistance in varroa mite treatments in Lenoir, Greene, Pitt, Craven, Duplin, Wayne and Jones counties in North Carolina. To talk to us about how we can help, simply call us at 888-319-9994.