Hey,
I’m looking for alternative ways to treat my bees against the Varroa mite and Nusema.
I don’t want to give then any chemicals as i believe this is one of the biggest problem of way bees are disappearing and dying in the world.
For example i heard the plant of rosemary helps against the Varroa mite, and even give to the bees bach flowers.
Is anybody is experimenting on those alternative ways?
Any ideas?
Hi Orl, I suggest that you look at www.kirkwebster.com. He’s a Vermont (US) beekeeper who specializes in “organic” raising. His website is chock full of interesting and valuable insights into keeping and raising bees. Paul
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So glad this question was asked. I’ve been pondering the same thing. 
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Please follow my posts in Pests and Diseases (Biological Control of Varroa and SHB). I am running a research using Stratiolaelaps scimitus. I will post with data observed from my test group.
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thank you so much!
do you have any web site or blog?
You’re very welcome. I feel that synthetic solutions exacerbate the problem. it’s difficult to argue with 350 million years of evolution…
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Very good for you! May I ask where you are located?
I’m located in the Great Lakes region of the US. We have a definite problem with V. destructor… To ignore this problem means almost certain failure in our overwintering. What do you attribute your mite free success to?
It’s very early in my time zone. I appreciate @DextersShed may not be able to provide a response before I retire, but I’m most interested in his reply. Manana!
Thanks for the video, made a lot of sense.
I have my bees in Mexico, the area don´t have any pesticides or Monsanto and most vegetation is natural.
Now i have my bees their in the past 3 years, and i didn’t treat Varroa, and the bees handle the varroa well. but i also didn’t change any queens, so several time the colonies swarmed, Because of that they became Africanized and they are really aggressive.
Now i want to change the queens to Italian or Carniolas queens next season, so i can work with more peace with my bees.
Now i understand that the Italian bees are more sensitive to Varroa.
any comments on that?
Does anybody work with Italian bees without treating Varoa?
Or any suggestment of other type of queen that can handle the Varroa and not so aggressive?
Suggest you buy the penultimate beekeeping book, Natural Beekeeping by Ross Conrad. In it, and in other books, I have read that powdered sugar is sprinkled over the frames and brushed into the hive. The sugar coats the bees, and by grooming themselves they also pick off the mites. This is intended as a control method, not an irradiation method. It seems varroa mites are going to inhabit your hive, but they can be controlled with this method. I don’t keep bees yet (awaiting my Flow Hive), but have been reading up in preparation for beekeeping in 2016. From all accounts, the organic beekeeping book cited above is the best book on the topic.
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I came across this http://www.bienensauna.de/. Any one heard anything about the Bee Sauna to treat Varroa.The website is in german but can be translated. What are your thoughts or experience with this as a treatment?
Although sound in theory, I have found powdered sugar to be largely ineffective in treating heavy infestations that you will typically have at the end of the season and in overwintered colonies. Hygienic behavior is to be encouraged, but it is only part of an effective IPM strategy. It should also be noted that ordinary confectioner sugar should be avoided, because of its inclusion of corn starch. If you wish to try this method, you will want to source baker’s sugar.
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Again, sound in theory, but impractical in application. My hives are generally placed in locations that do not have convenient electric service access. For those looking for “green” methods of control, this unit also has a carbon footprint that is unacceptable to sustainability, not to mention its extreme initial cost.
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We feel that sugar sifting has been successful for our hives in Northern California.
An interesting paper on the practice; http://scientificbeekeeping.com/powdered-sugar-dusting-sweet-and-safe-but-does-it-really-work-part-1/
It isn’t a total solution, but part of a program.
I have heard for a cure with nettles!
How possible is that??
Putting nettles in the top of the hive and the bees goes there and rub with nettles and that kill the varroa!
Have anyone did this and how effective is that?
I really appreciate the link you provided. Later this summer I will vacation in Vermont just 30 minutes from Middlebury. I may give him a call just to talk 