A new tool for the management of Varroa mites in bee hives

摘要

There has been a significant decline in European honey bee colony numbers over recent years and hive infestations of the mite, Varroa destructor, are an important factor in contributing to this decline. One of the most effective treatments for removing the mites from a hive is the use of selective pyrethroid insecticides that are highly toxic to the mites, but safe for use with bees. The intensive use of these compounds (tau-fluvalinate and flumethrin, marketed as Apistan* and Bayvarol~R) over the years has led to widespread resistance in Varroa populations, greatly reducing their effectiveness. Rothamsted Research scientists, who are strategically funded by the BBSRC, have now identified the genetic change that causes this resistance in UK mite populations. They have also developed a diagnostic test that allows rapid monitoring of the frequency of resistant mites within individual infected bee hives. The test provides an accurate measure of resistance within Varroa-infected hives before treatmentand hence it enables informed decisions of the likely effectiveness of the available treatments. The study was published on 18th December in the journal PLOS ONE.