Varroa Management
Integrated Pest Management for Varroa: A Year-Round Strategy
IPM means using monitoring data to drive treatment decisions — not calendar dates. Here's how to build a Varroa management calendar that keeps mite loads below threshold year-round.
Integrated Pest Management — IPM — is a framework, not a product. Applied to Varroa, it means monitoring mite loads on a schedule, comparing results against established thresholds, choosing the least disruptive intervention that keeps mites below those thresholds, and then verifying the intervention worked. The goal is a healthy colony year-round, not a mite-free colony (which is neither achievable nor necessary). Calendar-based treating — "I treat every spring and fall no matter what" — is blunt. It leads to overtreating when mite loads are low, undertreating when they're high, and does nothing to build the diagnostic habits that let you catch problems early. Data-driven IPM does the opposite. The IPM Loop Every management decision runs through four steps: 1. Monitor — collect data via alcohol wash on a regular schedule 2. Compare to threshold — is the mite load above the action threshold for this time of year? 3. Intervene — if above threshold, select and apply the appropriate control method 4. Verify — retest 3–4 weeks post-treatment to confirm efficacy If you skip step 4, you've broken the loop. You can't manage what you don't measure after the fact. Thresholds by Season The Honey Bee Health Coalition Varroa
Next in the Advanced Course
When Varroa Treatment Fails: Resistance, Reinfestation, and What to Do
Continue reading
How to Monitor Varroa: Alcohol Wash, Sugar Roll, and Sticky Boards
Monitoring is the only way to know whether your Varroa load is at a safe level or approaching colony-threatening territory. Here's how to do an alcohol wash — the gold standard — and when each method is appropriate.
When Varroa Treatment Fails: Resistance, Reinfestation, and What to Do
You treated on schedule, but the mite count barely moved. Here's how to distinguish true treatment resistance from reinfestation, application error, and timing problems — and what to do about each.
Varroa Treatments: A Beginner's Guide to Your Options
There is no single best Varroa treatment — each has tradeoffs in timing, temperature, and brood state. This is your overview of the main approved treatments and how to choose the right one.