Bee Research and Extension Lab News

To test, 1 teaspoon of soap was mixed with 500ml water in plastic bottles and shaken each for 20 seconds. As can be seen from the photo, the lowest suds detergent by a long shot was SCA brand windscreen washer. This was the lowest suds version of all, a complete winner. The pre-mixed variety is $5 for 5L, much cheaper than metho.

A beekeeper at a field day suggested that putting a small amount of white vinegar into a soap solution greatly reduced the suds. This was tested by adding vinegar to fresh, unshaken soap/water mixes, starting at 1 teaspoon of vinegar per solution and moving all the way up to 500ml (which works out at equal parts water to vinegar, with 1 tsp soap). At any concentration, the vinegar additive made no difference to the suds in any of the detergents.

Of course, this was not a definitive scientific study; it was just a quick test to get us thinking about trying different soaps to find the best option that meets our own parameters. 

Watering down an alcohol wash
If using methylated spirits for mite monitoring, watering it down could save money and reduce the fire hazard.

This scientific research paper from 1982 by De Jong et al., suggests that alcohol (in the form of ethanol or isopropyl alcohol) can be watered down to a solution of 25% alcohol & 75% water and still achieve a similar mite recovery as a wash containing 100% alcohol. N.b. This experiment was conducted on what was thought to be Varroa Jacobsoni, as Varroa Destructor had yet to be identified.

“Shaking bees in various solutions is an efficient means of detecting the presence of Varroa in samples of freshly killed adult honey bees. 25% solutions of ethanol or isopropyl alcohol were effective, convenient to use, and reasonable in cost. Hand-shaking for one minute removed 79-96% (average 92%) of the mites when 25% alcoholic solutions were used.”

 Watering down the alcohol also seems to reduce the chance of the wash kit catching fire in the truck if it gets close to a lit smoker. In a quick field test, a teaspoon of methylated spirits/water mix was put into a ceramic mug, then lit with a long BBQ lighter.

At 100%, the metho lit very easily and burned for a long time.
A 50/50 mix was harder to light and also burned for less time.
A 25/75 mix would not light at all.

The other main cause of resistance is using the same treatment back-to-back. For example, treating with Bayvarol 2-3 times in a row can expose mites to multiple rounds of flumethrin. Any mites that survive will breed and pass on their flumethrin resistance. However, if on the next treatment round a different chemical with a different mode of action is used - eg. Formic Pro, the formic acid should kill off any mites that have flumethrin resistance.

Chemical resistance in varroa to several miticides has been reported around the world, including flumethrin (Bayvarol), amitraz (Apivar), fluvalinate (Apistan), bromopropylate (Folbex), chlordimeform, and coumaphos (Check-Mite+, Perizin). Due to us beekeepers moving bees around and the various dispersal strategies of Varroa mites, resistance can quickly spread over wide areas once it arises.

Often, much money and time have been wasted before beekeepers realise their treatments aren't working like they used to. Fortunately, there is a simple field test that beekeepers can do to test Varroa for chemical resistance. This is a crude field test, and there is surprisingly little peer-reviewed science to support the test but it is used by beekeepers globally and is a cheap and easy way to ensure you're not wasting money treating Varroa with a product that's not working.

To find out more about the field test, you can download the fact sheet here: Resistance Test Fact Sheet.

To make it easier to understand pesticide impacts on bees, Dr Isabella Lippi has compiled a detailed spreadsheet outlining key pesticides, their applications, and lethal doses. Download a guide to pesticide exposure for beekeepers. Pesticide use and bees.

This resource is particularly important for those involved in pollination services or managing hives near agricultural areas, where pesticide use can significantly impact honey bee health and colony survival.

Upon receiving lab test results on bee pesticide exposure, beekeepers commonly report that the data is difficult to understand and therefore, hard to translate into practical decision-making. This spreadsheet aims to help beekeepers decipher test result data in order that they can make informed decisions regarding their colonies and yard sites.

The appendices include practical examples, as well as a bee poisoning report form and links to further resources for beekeepers experiencing bee poisoning. By providing this information, the aim is to raise awareness about the potential threats to honey bees and help beekeepers make informed decisions when working near treated crops.

In addition to research, the lab will provide hands-on training, workshops and field days in collaboration with industry associations and organisations to get science into the apiary. The SCU Bee Research and Extension Lab is keen to collaborate with beekeepers, government agencies, and industry stakeholders. By fostering these partnerships and sharing skills and knowledge, we can draw on the collective talents of many people to strengthen the Australian beekeeping industry.  

If you have ideas or feedback, want to participate in training sessions, attend field days, or contribute to research efforts, we want to hear from you 

For more information on upcoming events, and opportunities for collaboration, please visit our website at scu.edu.au/brel or contact us directly at bee.lab@scu.edu.au 

See you in the apiary! 

Check out BREL’s YouTube Channel for the presentations. 

Cooper’s presentation 

Rod’s Presentation 

Interviews from the opening night 

We’d like to extend a heartfelt thankyou to those who braved the weather to attend, and the Northern Rivers Beekeeping Supplies, Flow Hive, Bee Star, SCU, and the Varroa Development Officers and Department of Primary Industries (DPIRD) who set up stalls. Thank you for all your enthusiasm, interest and support!  

Five women from the Eastern Highlands Province participated in the program. Moving forward, these new trainers will be supported to provide ongoing training to women who are involved in family beekeeping enterprises in PNG. This training and support will enable more women to participate in family bee businesses, and in turn provide a way to increase income from beekeeping. 

This activity formed part of a larger project funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Strengthening beekeeping industries for improved production and livelihoods in Fiji, PNG and Solomon Islands).

You can read more about Anneleise’s research here and here.

The team discovered that Varroa jacobsoni showed resistance to flumethrin, the active ingredient in Bayvarol. This finding is not only important for local beekeepers to ensure they keep on top of mites, but it is also important as it marks a known case of resistance close to Australia’s borders, and this may have broader implications for detection of these mites in our Australian bee biosecurity. It's also a very real and close to home reminder of the problems associated with not rotating chemical classes.

The finding also highlights the importance of beekeepers knowing how to conduct resistance tests in their apiaries so that future resistance is detected early and beekeepers don't risk wasting money on a product that is no longer effective. 

These include physical trauma during pupal development (e.g. being bitten by mites feeding), hot and cold weather, nutritional deficiencies, exposure to pesticides, and genetic mutations (McMahon et al., 2016; Kevill et al., 2017; Grozinger and Flenniken, 2019).  

This is not to say DWV is not in Australia, but rather that it hasn’t been detected yet. Two viruses that have been detected that are new to Australia are two different species of Rhabdovirus, Apis Rhabdovirus-1 (ARV-1) and Apis Rhabdovirus-2 (ARV-2). 

Read More Here (Link to Rhabdovirus Summary by Dr Shouten & Dr Remnant) 

Authored by Dr Cooper Schouten and Dr Emily Remnant 
Peer reviewed by Dr Rob Manning and Jon Lockwood 
December 2024.