Miti-side-effects

I made the comment last week that all unexplained colony losses are due to Varroa, unless there's unequivocal evidence they are due to something else.If there are three weeks of rain in November, the stream floods, and you watch impotently as your hives are washed away downstream, I'll grudgingly accept that Varroa wasn't to blame.However, 'unexplained' losses, in particular the majority of winter losses, are likely due to the detrimental effect of mites and the viruses they transmit within the colony.This is why I stress that mite management — minimising the mite numbers in the colony — is such an important component of beekeeping.Some beekeepers appear to be able to achieve this without the use of chemicals, but for most bees and most beekeepers it involves the correct use and application of miticides {{1}}.Miticides — literally mite killers — are chemicals administered to kill mites and reduce their number in the hive below an acceptable threshold. Because Varroa mites are members…