Varroa Resistance through Bee Improvement

Saturday 15th February 2025 Ettington Community Centre CV37 7SX

Meet the Presenters

We have recruited the leading experts, both scientific and practical, in varroa resistance

Stephen Martin

Understanding the science of honeybee varroa resistance

Presentation Abstract:
Since the arrival of the varroa mite from Asia, millions of honeybee colonies have died. For decades, beekeepers have continued to control Varroa populations using chemicals and other invasive methods.

However, throughout Africa and most of South and Central America mite-infested colonies have survived without any form of mite-control for decades. Throughout, Europe, UK and the USA an increasing number of naturally evolved, mite-resistant colonies are being discovered and managed by beekeepers. We now have a good understanding of the underlying mechanism of varroa resistance in these populations, which is leading to the reappearance of sustainable free-living populations and a decreasing number of beekeepers using chemical miticides to control the varroa mite. The talk will provide the most up to date information about varroa resistance honeybees and how to promote them.

This will help inform beekeepers wanting to keep varroa-resistant honeybees or transition away from chemical control of varroa in their colonies.

Stephen holds an Emeritus Professor position at Salford University, Manchester. Prior to that he spent 12 years working at Sheffield University, 7 years with the National Bee Unit and 7 years in Japan conducting research into hornets.

He is best known for his work on the varroa mite and its association with viruses, especially the Deformed Wing Virus. More recently his beekeeper funded research aims to understand why some honeybee colonies have become naturally resistant to varroa.

Stephen now aims to use this information to provide beekeepers with a long-term solution to their mite- problem.

Steve Riley

Working as a club towards varroa resistance

Presentation Abstract:
The presentation covers how to select and monitor for varroa-resistant traits, whilst transitioning off miticide treatments / IPM. This includes the pitfalls of getting started and dealing with mite-susceptible colonies (”varroa breeders”). The benefits of working collaboratively as a club will be highlighted to spread the best traits and learnings among members.

Steve is the Education Office and former Chair of Westerham Beekeepers, a club in the south-east of England.

He is the author of “The Honey Bee Solution to Varroa” and a member of the “Path to Varroa-Resistance in the UK” team that launched the education and science website: www.varroaresistant.uk in April 2023.

Steve presents on varroa resistance to beekeeping associations around the UK, including at the National Honey Show and BBKA Spring Convention

Clive Hudson

16 years of treatment-free beekeeping with Welsh dark bees

Presentation Abstract:
The presentation shares information about our beekeeping, and the 3 main reasons why we stopped treating against varroa. Honey bees are the focus of our craft, but I highlight the importance of the beekeepers who influence our attitude to whether we treat or not treat our bees. Beyond the importance of our Association members, I have in mind those who write articles, where I find the frequent answer to varroa is ‘just to treat’. I also believe the National Bee Unit is not recognising the reality of varroa-resistant honey bees and the success of treatment-free beekeepers. As practitioners we, along with many others, have proved that bees can successfully thrive without the use of varroacides. Scientific research has shown how honey bees achieve this. The evidence is there. It prompts a choice for every beekeeper.

Clive has been beekeeping together with his wife Shân since 1985. We live in North West Wales and are members of Lleyn & Eifionydd BKA. We are over-wintering 18 colonies in National hives and regard ourselves as essentially traditional beekeepers. For various reasons we stopped treating against varroa 16 years ago and found that it worked for us.

Prompted by concerns for honey bees because of world-wide losses, we collected and published data on 1573 local colony-winters between 2010-2015. To our surprise the survey results showed the majority of beekeepers in our area were not treating against varroa and were experiencing fewer losses than those who were treating. Information about our beekeeping and interest in wild-living colonies, real-time temperatures of a colony in a National hive and our journey to varroa-resistant bees and treatment-free beekeeping can be found at https://beemonitor.org

Rhona Toft

Varroa Resistant Bees: When it’s More Than a Hobby

Rhona runs a small-scale beekeeping business with her husband Richard in the South of Worcestershire. While still hobbyists they transitioned their bees off of varroacides and selected for Varroa resistance. The hobby grew into a business and they currently manage around 60 colonies of local bees but have had more than 80 colonies in some years. The colonies have been managed without the use of Varroacides since 2007. Rhona is a member of ‘The Path to Varroa-Resistance in the UK’ team, a member of the Bee Farmers’ Association and a BBKA Master Beekeeper.

Joe Ibbertson

Free Living Colonies Solving the Varroa Problem

Presentation Abstract:

The talk will cover Joe’s conservation project, the colony survival and genetic data so far. The observation of survival and varroa resistant behaviours in free living colonies is crucial to assessing varroa resistance. He will also discuss how he has removed interference of natural dynamics within his management, to work in tandem with the free living population and select for locally adapted, varroa resistant colonies and his observations from this.

Joe is a long term non treatment beekeeper currently running a conservation project covering 90 free living colony nest sites in woodland and urban areas local to him. He has developed a simplistic technique to hunt free living colonies and works alongside Prof. Grace McCormack’s Galway HoneyBee Research Center for monitoring and research. As part of the Varroaresistant.uk team, he uses his knowledge of free living colonies to encourage natural selection and natural dynamics alongside colony management in National hives to select for varroa resistance and self-reliant colonies adapted to his location.

Programme:-

9.00 Registration

10.00 Welcome by Roger Patterson

10.15 Rona Toft: “Varroa Resistant Bees: When it’s More Than a Hobby”

11.00 Stephen Martin: “Understanding the science of honeybee varroa resistance”

12.00 Joe Ibbertson: “Free Living Colonies Solving the Varroa Problem”

12.45 Lunch (bring your own and refreshments)

1.30 Steve Riley: “Working as a club towards varroa resistance”

2.30 Clive Hudson: “16 years of treatment-free beekeeping with Welsh dark bees”

3.15 Speakers Panel – to answer questions from the floor

4.00 Dispersal