Bee Biosecurity Chat

Mary raises an important issue.

Using oxalic acid strips only once per year is ridiculous, but (in defence of the supplier) changing the label is an expensive option. Whatever it is essential to monitor regularly and treat whenever mite numbers exceed the notional 6 mites per 1/2 cup (roughly 300) nurse bees (2%) – without the queen of course. Rotating treatments, for example with formic acid (FormicPro) or thymol (Apiguard) is sensible and recommended. The alternatives – the synthetics – have come a croppa with the second -- just reported – Australian incursion of Varroa that are tolerant to amitraz (Apivar, Apitraz), flumethrin (Bavarol) and tau-fluvalinate (Apistan) so soon won't be of much use.

Hey get to monotoring pretty regularly or you will lose your bees and treat promptly. My bees were mite free up until early March. They have been mite bombed with collapsing hives locally and all needed…

I mentioned at the meeting last week that I had ordered Oxalic Acid strips, and there was a question about when these had been apporved for use in Australia. They weren't at the time of the Varroa training, and still aren't included in the Tocal College Varroa decision tool. I checked, and the answer is that emergency approval was granted in December 2025 for limited use (once per year). There's an article in the February ABA newsletter: https://tab.beekeepers.asn.au/issue-february-2026/aluen-cap.

At last week's meeting we mentioned the Tocal College Varroa Management Tool, which aims to assist beekeepers make decisions about chemical Varroa treatments (organic and/or synthetic). I've added it to our Links page, but it's also here: https://tocalcollegecourses.z26.web.core.windows.net/courses/Varroa%20Management%20Tool/story.html

I thought I'd share what I am doing about Varroa since I found it in my apiary a couple of weeks ago. My levels were just below/at the treatment threshold (3/5/6) and all three hives still seem to be thriving. This is all new to me!

As my first approach, I'm following the most comprehensive guide I found on using a Frame Isolation Cage to force a brood break and remove breeding mites from the hive: https://share.google/LVhxABGkWj7awjR7h.

This was something mentioned in the Varroa training, but with very little detail.

Step 1 was to catch the queens and place each one on a frame in a cage for two weeks. This took a while, with two of my three queens not very cooperative in being found. This means my hives are staggered by a few days.

Step 2 is to release the queen from her cage and place the caged…