Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service are helping bee keepers protect their colonies by studying the effectiveness of combining a widely used mite-killing pesticide with an agent that inhibits the ability of the destructive Varroa mite to tolerate the pesticide.
More effective treatment found for bee colonies
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Varroa mites are a major threat to honey bee health and are becoming resistant to two compounds -- coumaphos and fluvalinate -- used to control them. Beekeepers now have a simple assay to determine whether mites are resistant and thus ensure use of appropriate control measures.
A magnified image shows live varroa mites on a honey bee pupa host.