The Honey Bee Health Coalition has released the ninth edition of its popular “Tools for Varroa Management” guide. The updated resource provides information on the latest tools and options for beekeepers in the United States and Canada to keep honey bees healthy and manage varroa mites, which spread disease within and among honey bee colonies, according to a news release.

An expert team of beekeepers, entomologists, extension agents, apiary inspectors and federal regulators collaborated to update the guide with the most current scientific understanding of varroa biology, monitoring methods and control strategies available to beekeepers. 

“It has been completely updated and includes what you need to know in one concise package,” said principal author Dewey Caron, professor emeritus of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware. “It is dedicated to helping improve overwintering success by providing information to flatten the varroa growth curve and reduce bee colony viral epidemics,” he said in the release. 

Varroa mites represent one of the greatest threats to honey bee health, honey production and pollination services. Untreated or ineffectively treated colonies can fail, causing economic losses to beekeepers and potentially impacting agricultural food production. Colonies infested with varroa are also a potential source of mites and diseases that can spread to other colonies and apiaries.

The ninth edition of the varroa management guide explains practical, effective methods that beekeepers can employ to measure varroa infestations in their hives and select the most appropriate control methods for their operation. The full guide is available free of charge at the Honey Bee Health Coalition website at: honeybeehealthcoalition.org/resources/varroa-management.