Beekeepers Toolbox

Harris County Beekeepers Association

Beekeeping Month By Month—An annual guide to hive management for beekeepers.

Honey Bee Disease and Parasite Control:

Parasitic Mites of Honey Bees— Describes symptoms of Varroa and tracheal mite infestation, life cycle, detection and treatment methods.

Powdered Sugar Sampling to Monitor Varroa Mite Populations — Illustrated instructions on how to perform a non-lethal sugar-shake test on honey bees to monitor Varroa mite population.

Guidelines For Prevention, Detection and Control Of Honey Bee Pathogens and Parasites In Texas—Contains valuable information about the detection and control of the various parasites and diseases relating to honey bees.

Mite Control in Honey Bees With Essential Oils — Wealth of information on the benefits of and how to use essential oils to treat honey bee parasites—Varroa destructor and tracheal mites.

Drone Brood Removal for the Management of Varroa destructor—explains the theory and mechanics of using drone brood removal to help control Varroa destructor in the bee hive.

Testing for Miticide Resistance—Method for testing for miticide resistance to Apistan and Check-mite+.

Mite Resistant Bees—a comparison between the Italian and the Russian honey bees and their resistance to the tracheal and varroa mites.

Texas State Bee Removal Permit Application—state permit application form for beekeepers to remove bees from structures.

Texas Apiary Inspection Service—statutes dealing with honey bees, forms for permits to move bees, sending bee samples for identification, etc.

Wintergreen and Salt Grease Patties—instructions for using and formula for making grease patties that have proved effective against Varroa and have a detrimental effect on the Small Hive Beetle.

Varroa Mite Detection Methods—from the British Columbia, Ministry of Apiculture and Lands—instructions for employing various mite detection methods, including sticky boards, the alcohol wash, and the ether roll, plus guidelines on when to treat based on test results.

Beekeepers Toolbox

CCD Working Group Tentative Recommendations for Hives Experiencing CCD —March 1, 2007.

Honey Bees and Colony Collapse Disorder:

Testimony of Professor Diana Cox-Foster, Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University before the U. S. House of Representatives on Colony Collapse Disorder in the U. S.—March 29, 2007

Apimondia 2007 Report—Harry Reichart, Member, Harris County Beekeepers

Association.

Novel Methods For Comprehensive Gene Sequencing Find Strong Connection Between Virus and Colony Collapse Disorder in Bees—September 6, 2007

Sampling Methods For Varroa Mites— provides various methods for testing the varroa infestation levels in a bee hive.

Integrated Pest Management For Varroa Destructor— from Cornell University, Master Beekeeper Program, article contains information that will allow a beekeeper to: 1) identify V. destructor, 2) recognize the symptoms of mite infestation, 3) determine pest densities, and 4) implement an effective IPM program for keeping mite populations below the economic injury level.

A Survey of Honey Bee Colony Losses in the U.S., Fall 2007 to Spring 2008

What Have Pesticides Got To Do With It?

A Survey of Honey Bee Colony Losses in the U.S., Fall 2009 to Winter 2010