4. Leave wild plants and weeds until they stop flowering before removing them.
5. Avoid cutting back nectar plants that flower late autumn into winter, or plants that
continue to flower while still producing berries.
6. Mow lawns containing white clover only after the flower heads have turned brown.
Management of honeybee health and pests may vary among geographical
regions, and the specifics will vary among bee strains as well. American beekeepers
in the state of Florida, for example, must deal with local black bears that target and
destroy honey bee hives [86]. Some bee management recommendations include the
following [87]:
1. Use only products approved in your country.
2. Read and follow all instructions on disease or mite control product labels before
application.
3. Monitor colonies for levels of mite infestation.
4. Apply treatments before infestations or infections become damaging. Autumn
feed should be provided before temperatures are too low for bees to safely break
cluster.
5. Rotate Varroa treatments to prevent development of resistance. For example,
use a synthetic mite strip in spring and formic acid treatment in autumn.
6. Avoid using temperature-dependent treatments such as formic acid or thymol
above the recommended thresholds.
7. Treat all colonies that require treatment at the same time.
8. Follow recommended treatment withdrawal times; do not use treatments when
honey supers (portion of a managed beehive used to collect surplus honey) are
attached, unless otherwise specified by treatment instructions.
9. Use oxalic acid only as a follow-up treatment in late autumn after a primary
early autumn treatment, unless Varroa mite levels are low.
10. Use resistant-bred queens when possible.
Along with the above best management practices, beekeepers may also participate in breeding or acquire honey bees that have been specially bred through
hybridization or trait selection. This approach introduces pest and pathogen resistance into European honey bee stock and allows beekeepers to reduce or altogether
eliminate chemical treatments in their apiaries. Additionally, hybridization or trait
breeding can increase colony survival rates when the selectively bred bee is more
adapted to a given environment.
5.1.1 Varroa-Sensitive Hygiene (VSH) Genetic Trait
Varroa-sensitive hygiene (VSH) is a genetic trait that compels the honey bee to
remove mite-infested pupae from the capped brood, which is the Varroa mite’s
preferred target. The capped brood are young, developing bees that are sealed inside
cells of the comb with a protective layer of wax. Because the brood is hidden below
the wax seals, the mites are sometimes difficult for bees to detect. While honey bees
32
C. Li
5. Avoid cutting back nectar plants that flower late autumn into winter, or plants that
continue to flower while still producing berries.
6. Mow lawns containing white clover only after the flower heads have turned brown.
Management of honeybee health and pests may vary among geographical
regions, and the specifics will vary among bee strains as well. American beekeepers
in the state of Florida, for example, must deal with local black bears that target and
destroy honey bee hives [86]. Some bee management recommendations include the
following [87]:
1. Use only products approved in your country.
2. Read and follow all instructions on disease or mite control product labels before
application.
3. Monitor colonies for levels of mite infestation.
4. Apply treatments before infestations or infections become damaging. Autumn
feed should be provided before temperatures are too low for bees to safely break
cluster.
5. Rotate Varroa treatments to prevent development of resistance. For example,
use a synthetic mite strip in spring and formic acid treatment in autumn.
6. Avoid using temperature-dependent treatments such as formic acid or thymol
above the recommended thresholds.
7. Treat all colonies that require treatment at the same time.
8. Follow recommended treatment withdrawal times; do not use treatments when
honey supers (portion of a managed beehive used to collect surplus honey) are
attached, unless otherwise specified by treatment instructions.
9. Use oxalic acid only as a follow-up treatment in late autumn after a primary
early autumn treatment, unless Varroa mite levels are low.
10. Use resistant-bred queens when possible.
Along with the above best management practices, beekeepers may also participate in breeding or acquire honey bees that have been specially bred through
hybridization or trait selection. This approach introduces pest and pathogen resistance into European honey bee stock and allows beekeepers to reduce or altogether
eliminate chemical treatments in their apiaries. Additionally, hybridization or trait
breeding can increase colony survival rates when the selectively bred bee is more
adapted to a given environment.
5.1.1 Varroa-Sensitive Hygiene (VSH) Genetic Trait
Varroa-sensitive hygiene (VSH) is a genetic trait that compels the honey bee to
remove mite-infested pupae from the capped brood, which is the Varroa mite’s
preferred target. The capped brood are young, developing bees that are sealed inside
cells of the comb with a protective layer of wax. Because the brood is hidden below
the wax seals, the mites are sometimes difficult for bees to detect. While honey bees
32
C. Li