Delaware County Beekeepers Association

08/16/2026

Between June 2024 and January 2025, a full 62% of commercial honey bee colonies in the United States died, according to an extensive survey.⁠
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As soon as scientists at the USDA caught wind of the die-offs, they sprang into action—but their efforts were slowed by a series of federal funding cuts and layoffs. 6 months later, USDA scientists finally identified a culprit.⁠
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According to a preprint posted last June, nearly all the dead colonies tested positive for bee viruses spread by parasitic mites. Alarmingly, every single one of the mites the researchers screened was resistant to amitraz, the only viable mite-specific pesticide—or miticide—of its kind left in humans’ arsenal.⁠
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Tracking the rise of miticide resistance is critical, experts say. Honey bees pollinate more than 90 commercial crops in the U.S., generate between $20 billion and $30 billion in agricultural revenue, and play a key role in keeping the U.S. food supply stable.⁠
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Learn more on : https://scim.ag/4nACitd

08/15/2026

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1845647063067775

08/15/2026

08/15/2026

What naturally kills varroa mites without human intervention?

So many of you are asking this question, so I've decided to dedicate a whole post to it.

The answer is pretty simple, and I'll give it right away, but I'll argue my case with explanations, as you're already accustomed to :).

Bees are some highly intelligent creatures, and while many believe they are utterly defenseless victims, untreated colonies deploy an impressive arsenal of biological mechanisms to crush, starve, and sterilize varroa mites without any human help.

Before I start, I should say that leaving your bees completely on their own WITHOUT having strong genetic traits that will prompt them to act this way is the fastest way to spread diseases not only inside your apiary but towards all apiaries within a 6km radius.

If you look closely at wild surviving populations, you will discover that nature has engineered several brutal defense pathways to keep this parasite in check.

The first line of active physical defense is intensive allogrooming, where worker bees use their sharp mandibles to physically chew on the legs and carapaces of adult mites.

When a worker detects a phoretic mite on a nestmate, she performs targeted grooming dances that trigger rapid physical attacks, severing the delicate mite limbs and causing lethal hemolymph leakage.

The second and most devastating defense is Varroa sensitive hygiene, where specialized nurse bees sniff out parasitized brood beneath sealed wax cappings.

Stressed and dying pupae emit specific odors that act as an unmistakable olfactory distress signal to these hygienic nurses.

Once the bees detect these alarm molecules, they instantly chew open the wax cap and cannibalize the parasitized pupa, exposing the immature nymph mites to dry hive air where they rapidly desiccate and perish.

Beyond bee behavior, natural swarming acts as a powerful ecological reset by triggering a sudden brood break that starves the reproductive cycle of the parasite.

So yes.

Bees can really fight these pesky mites, but for that to happen, they NEED to possess these highly specific traits.

Be aware that ALL those beekeepers who are trying to sell their queens will tell you that those queens have VSH traits.

Don't just trust them, but test them with a small sample of queens at first.

If you enjoyed this article, I invite you to read the first chapter of my book (You can find it in my bio 🙏)

Happy beekeeping and full barrels 🐝🍯

07/24/2026

Lactic acid as a varroa treatment?

A 2024 study proves that this soft acaricide works by physically dissolving the parasite's suction cups.

I'll be honest here and say that this is the first time when I read that lactic acid can be a varroa treatment, so let's see what this study has to say about it.

The study starts with this statement: The mode of action of this honey bee medication (lactic acid) remains unknown.

So, researchers investigated whether lactic acid operates through systemic poisoning of bee haemolymph or through direct local contact with the mite's body.

This is really interesting.

The study demonstrated that topical application of a 150 mg/ml lactic acid spray directly attacks the arolia(the soft adhesive pads at the end of the mite's feet used for gripping the host).

Within 6 hours of exposure, internal pressure forces fluid to leak from the inflated arolium pad until it completely collapses into a dry, unusable remnant.

It basically melts their legs?!?!

This permanent structural damage explains why treated mites instantly lose their grip skills and tumble to the bottom of the hive.

To test the systemic theory, scientists fed mites bee haemolymph contaminated with 1.5 mg/ml of lactic acid and observed zero mortality over a 48 hour window.

So it's not the haemolymph that infects the mites.

Worker bees exposed to a 150 mg/ml treatment showed strong aversion, which prevents them from drinking toxic amounts and experiencing metabolic acidosis.

Instead of consuming the liquid, the repelled workers engage in intense grooming behavior, spreading the acidic coating all over their cuticle, where hungry mites walk.

So, my takeaway from this study is that we need a precise dosage, and the only delivery method is by spraying each and every frame inside a hive to cover both the phoretic mites and the bees with it.

This method takes a lot of time, but I see it as a very promising thing for further investigation.

I will try to find more info about this.

If you enjoyed this article, I invite you to read the first chapter of my book (You can find it in my bio 🙏)

Happy beekeeping and full barrels 🐝🍯

07/24/2026

https://ag.purdue.edu/news/2026/03/collaboration-in-action-beekeepers-help-the-purdue-bee-labs-make-buzz-worthy-mutation-discoveries.html?utm_id=97757_v0_s00_e0_tv2_a1demoo4pnmd7s&fbclid=IwY2xjawTQY3hleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE0Rzc0U1ZUSlhzdHAzaGNxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHvKH_5bSxZTsrdjsZSLfUBX8HZelkIgnNSyfPsxowVBjpI_Q9ReiiqjIkO5b_aem

When most people picture a bee, they imagine a small black insect with a fuzzy body, yellow stripes and glossy dark eyes. But beyond the classic black-and-yellow pattern mutant bees exist that defy expectations, some with unconventional coloring and others with unusual eyes.