# Varroa Trap Seems To Work.



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Alan Harman


A new bait could see Varroa mites literally walking into a trap.

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Gainesville, Fla., are testing a bait-and-kill approach using sticky boards and natural chemical attractants called semiochemicals.

For patenting reasons, Teal wonât reveal what the specific compounds are, other than to say theyâre naturally produced by honey bees and highly attractive to Varroa mites.

Varroa mites rely on these semiochemicals to locate - and then feed on - the bloodlike hemolymph of both adult honey bees and their brood. Severe infestations can decimate an affected hive within several months and rob the beekeeper of profits from honey or pollinating services.

But in this case, the mites encounter a more heady bouquet of honey bee odors that lure the parasites away from their intended hosts and onto the sticky boards, where they starve.

ARS Chemistry Research Unit research leader Peter Teal reports preliminary tests of the attractant are promising.

We are able to induce 35% to 50% of mites to drop off of bees when we present them with either of the two attractants, and more than 60% of free mites are attracted to these chemicals in biological tests,â Teal says.

Teal says the extra dose of semiochemicals wafting through hives didn't appear to significantly interfere with the honey bees' normal behavior or activity.

The research team hopes ARS' patenting of the Varroa mite attractants will encourage an industrial partner to develop the technology further.

The original report can be found at:

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul09/mites0709.htm


 Al


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

the bees did a happy dance ,, when we told them .. maybe now the lost hives from mites will be cut in half .. 
the hives lost from mites are the expensive part of this addictive hobby .
last week I joined the local branch of B.K.A.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

congrats on the membership. I think you will like it even if just for the company of people with equal intrest.

 Al


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

B.K.A. Bee Keeper Anonymous

but yes I am sending my application for bee club to , it will be in mon mail
Guess I have been putting off joining the bee club ..

Al ,, Don't ask me why !! Guess I'm not a club kind of person.. 
I'm more of the loner type .. I don't like crowds ...


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## Michael Bush (Oct 26, 2008)

If I had Varroa problems I guess I'd be celebrating.


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## barelahh (Apr 13, 2007)

Michael Bush said:


> If I had Varroa problems I guess I'd be celebrating.


you know i haven't had any problems so far either. I keep checking for mites but haven't seen them. Is it because of location? I'm in kansas.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

The mites are all over the USA & Canada today. I had a student that I never did find any mights in the colonies. She ran small cell foundation, used drone comb and powdered sugar.
Their are a lot of people who have a heavy load of mites in their colonies because they don't know what they are looking for or the steps to take to look.
One thing I use when inspecting a hive is a capping fork. I uncap some random drone comb in a hive to look for mites in them. I don't need all those drones so the ones I uncapp are not missed.

If you don't have mites than that is great.










 Al


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## Michael Bush (Oct 26, 2008)

No, it's not location. I had a lot of Varroa issues until I went to foundationless and small cell foundation:

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnaturalcell.htm

And here was the results:

http://www.bushfarms.com/beescerts.htm


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