Efficiency of varroa monitoring methods

Poster presented at Apimondia 2019 in Montreal (Canada)

In the global debate about varroa (Varroa destructor) management, honey bee health experts and beekeepers often focus on varroa treatments, but a well-organised monitoring routine lays the foundation for a successful treatment strategy and can be one of the keys to overwintering survival.

In a field study (2017) conducted in the Czech Republic, we compared the efficiency of four established Varroa monitoring methods: the two standardised, industrial methods “Varroa EasyCheck®” (Véto-pharma) and “Varroa Tester®” (Swienty) and the two home-made methods “Powdered Sugar Dusting” and “Alcohol Wash”.

Conclusions:
• Efficiency of all tested monitoring methods was variable with higher variability at lower infestation rates.
• The Varroa EasyCheck® and Varroa Tester® were the most efficient of the four tested monitoring methods (82.3% and 83.9%, respectively), whereas the Sugar Dusting (64.9%) and the home-made Alcohol Wash (65.2%) methods demonstrated a significantly lower efficiency.
• In the present field study, standardised monitoring methods were more efficient compared to home-made solutions.
• The factor “beekeeper” significantly affected the efficacy of the powdered sugar dusting method, but not that of Varroa EasyCheck® or the Varroa Tester®.