Varroa Destructor, Maya's greatest enemy
After Darth Vader, Sauron, Hannibal Lecter, Freddy Krueger, Biff Tannen or even Gargamel, the new big bad has nothing to envy to his colleagues. the Varroa Destroyer, a name that sounds gross all the same. Let's admit that its size does not match its name! On the other hand, he has everything of a great, he decimates the colonies of our friends beesand an parasite, named by the foragers under the name Sun-Tzu, such his battle plan is shrewd and devious. His attack is not frontal but well and truly orchestrated. For more than 50 years it has operated at the risk of our honey producers. Let's paint together a portrait of the Machiavellian varroa and give to you beekeepers, some tools to fight on equal terms.
A mite at the service of "male"
Think again, it's not a spelling error. You know our articles now, you know that we have two passions in life, animals of all kinds and dubious puns. Anyway next ! the varroa is therefore a mite that works to feed on the backs of beesand an mite ? No, we would even be tempted to say A mite. To tell the truth, it is a work in couple, even in family varroidae. To understand, here is the family tree of the Varroa Destroyer and the functions of each;
- The female Varroa, says the warrior mother : It plays a predominant role in the conquest of the colonies ofbees. Recognizable by its brown color and its size of 1,5 to 1,8 mm. This mite feminine has a double mission: to fertilize in a cell of the brood (about 5 eggs, the first of which is always a male) and revel in the precious blood of its host while hanging on at all costs.
- The “male” not alpha at all : His life comes down to his mission! He is born to accomplish his misdeed and dies in the most total indifference. Of a smaller size (about 1 mm) and a color tending towards yellow/white, the varroa male will never be present on the bees. To sum up his life, he was born in a cell in the brood, he lets himself be locked in like a lion in a cage with his sisters, he impregnates his sisters (sorry but it's the strict truth) and then he dies. Even the metro, work, sleep makes him dream.
- daughters/sisters : Once fertilized by the male, who is none other than their brother, in the brood (where is a bee larva), They varroa females will take on the role of their mother: Destroy the colonies and colonize the bees.
Varroa rhymes with Dracula
The cycle of conquest is well oiled! No time to waste whether breeding or vampirizing. As mentioned below, the good organization of the varroa makes it possible to decimate, in one season, the colonie.
- Madame comes to be locked up in the cell of the brood where is the bee larva ;
- She lays eggs, about 5 (from 2 to 8 to be precise), the first of which is a male;
- This male varroa impregnates females then dies;
- At the exit of thebee from the cell, the females cling and leave the cell;
- They feed, like Count Dracula in his time, on the blood of bees ;
- Then the females varroa, descend into the cells of the brood where is bee larva and…..
This is the life of varroa.
Maya the bee in the story, what about it?
We are talking about Varroa destructor since a while ago like an animal document dedicated to him. Make no mistake, the main subject is our friend forager. The church must be put back in the center of the village, the aggressor is indeed the varroa. What effects on workers, on the pure, on the bees wider ? the varroa will literally extract the blood of its host depriving it of all its energy, nutrients and proteins and transmitting a virus at the same time. Consequence: Thebee lose in immune defenses and age prematurely. Have you seen the 90s movie, Jack starring Robin Williams? It's pretty much the same phenomenon. From apiaries Whole can die from a hive infected. Moreover, the production of bees is of poor quality, no one will revel in this Royal jelly.
We must save the worker Maya
The report is without appeal, we must act! In order to stem and treat this invasion, several preventive, basic or curative actions are to be carried out:
Broadcast the 200 episodes of Honey and the Bees on a loop : Install a 1 inch screen with a video recorder in each hive and put the VHS tape of the whole series. This will cause the Varroa invader to have a heart attack
Communicate with beekeepers in your area : Text “beekeeper” to 36006… No sorry. The bottom line is true. It is important, in the case of an invasion, to warn nearby beekeepers of the presence of the parasite. Indeed, the Varroa reproduces at a supersonic speed, it can very quickly find itself in the hives of the neighborhood. To follow the evolution of Varroa, a new mobile application has been launched by theITSAP (Institut de l'Abeille), for more information click here VarroApp ;
Developing the VSH : No, it's not a new acronym created for yet another French administration. ESR means Varroa Sensitive Hygiene. According to'INRAE, some colonies manage independently to fight the varroa. They expel the parasite de l 'cell before capping avoiding fertilization. Some studies push to grow these colonies and thus stem the development ofmite.
Test the presence of Varroa in your hive : know the presence / extent of the infestation several solutions. Beekeepers can set up mesh or perforated solutions to see the number of male Varroa falling from the frames. I'EasyCheck of the Laboratory Veto-pharma also makes it possible to know the level of infestation of the colony.
Treat the invasion : It is advisable to intervene throughout the year in order to exterminate this parasite. Different components are known and recognized for the treatment of this mite that is found in drug treatments: thyme, oregano, rhubarb, amitraz, etc. Regardless of your choice, it is not recommended during honeyed because it can affect bees and affect the taste of Royal jelly. Breakdown of treatment periods:
- Winter period : Oxybee or even Apibioxal, both suitable for organic farming.
- End of winter therefore beginning of spring : Apilife VAR, Apistan, Apitraz, Apivar, Thymovar*, Apiguard* et Varromed*
- Exit of the summer after the last harvests : Apilife VAR, Apistan, Apitraz, Apivar, Thymovar*, Apiguard* et Varromed*
* Products compatible with organic farming
Our friends talk about it really well
You can increase your knowledge about the Varroa Destructor thanks to specialized sites on foragers:
- Beekeepers from father to son on the Apiculture.net website: Varroa and varroosis
- The Public Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment deals with the subject: Varroa, the nightmare parasite of honey bees
- Bee Institute
We hope this article will shed some light on some gray areas around this parasite, varroa. We have no claims on the subject, you beekeepers seasoned, you surely master this subject much better than us. Beginner amateurs in thebeekeeping, take the information that interests you and if some information remains unclear, do not hesitate to contact us.
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