Predatory mites against Varroa mite

Fighting varroa mites is often done with chemical pesticides which not only works against the varroa mites but also have a negative influence on the bees. That is why biological control with the natural enemy of the varroa mite is a better option. The Stratiolaelaps scimitus is a natural enemy of the varroa mites and focuses only on controlling the mites without hurting the bees. The Hypoaspis miles predatory mites are delivered as follows:

• Package of 5,000, 10,000 or 25,000 with scatter material containing eggs, young and adult Hypoaspis miles (Stratiolaelaps scimitus) predatory mites.
  1 package with 5,000 pieces of predatory mites is sufficient for 1 hive.

The varroa destructor (varroa mite) is a parasitic mite that attacks the honey bees Apis cerana and Apis mellifera. The disease caused by the mites is called varroosis. The varroa mite can only reproduce in a honey bee colony. It attaches to the body of the bee (both in larvae, pupa and adults) and weakens the bee by sucking up body juices. In this process, viruses spread to the bees. A large mite infection can lead to the death of a honeybee colony, usually in late fall to early spring. The varroa mite has a major impact on beekeeping and is considered to be one of the stress factors that contribute to the higher levels of bee mortality worldwide.The adult female varroa mite is reddish brown in color, while the male is white. varroa mites are flat and have a bud shape. They are 1-1.8 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide and have eight legs.

Stratiolaelaps scimitus predatory mite

Close up predatory mite

The predatory mites actively search for varroa mites and stab them with their snouts. They mainly aim at the joints of the legs, ripping them apart and thus releasing haemolymph on which they feed. When the varroa mites are stung and fall, predatory mites crawl directly on top. They suck the body juices from the varroa mite (see punctured varroa mites on the image below), after which they start looking for the next prey. The predatory mites can be found everywhere in the hive, but they only attack the varroa mites if not attached to bees and not in the closed brood cells. However, Geert’s experience shows that the bees sometimes actively look for the predatory mites by sitting on the bottom. According to him, this might result in an even more thorough cleaning from varroa mites. The bees seem to know that they are not troubled by the varroa mites near the predatory mites. As soon as varroa mites can no longer be found in the hive, the predatory mites withdraw into the earth and survive on other organisms. S. scimitus is often sold in packs of 5,000, 10,000 or 25,000 mites in a mixture of vermiculite and peat fed with flour mites. We recommend to use 5,000 predatory mite for each bee hive/ colony. You will have to inspect if the predatory mites are still active after a few weeks. A weekly inspection of the predatory mites could be advised. To do this, take some soil from under the hive and sprinkle it on a white sheet of paper, examine the sample with a loupe or magnifying glass to see if there are still living predatory mites. If you see one predatory mite crawling, there will certainly still be thousands in the soil. It is possible that the predatory mites die because there is not enough food or because the weather conditions were not ideal. In that case, put new predatory mites into the compost under the hive.

Our experience is that 5,000 predatory mites per hive are sufficient for an optimal control of the Varroa mite. Keep a close eye on whether the predatory mites are still active after a few weeks, weekly inspection of the predatory mites is advisable. You can inspect the activity of the predatory mites as follows: take some soil from the cupboard and place it on a white sheet / paper. View the material with a magnifying glass to see if there are still living predatory mites. If you can still find predatory mites then it is sufficient. The predatory mites may become extinct because there is not enough food or due to weather conditions. If no predatory mites are perceptible, we advise you to scatter predatory mites again if the temperature allows it (for example, it should not freeze!).For a good control, it is important to create a pleasant place for the predatory mites. If the predatory mites have a habitat where they can live, the control will follow automatically. The predatory mites actively seek out the Varroa mites. When the Varroa mites are stung and fall down, the predatory mites crawl directly on top. When the bees enter the cupboard, the predatory mites also crawl on the bees and fight the Varroa mites there, so the predatory mites also reach the warm center of the cupboard. In some cases, the bees even seek out the predatory mites. They know that they are not bothered by Varroa mites near the predatory mites. Read more about the correct use of predatory mites against Varroa mites on this page.The predatory mite proceeds as follows, it approaches the Varroa mite and sticks it with its snout. The predatory mite administers the Varroa mite poison, causing the Varroa mite to die. As soon as the Varroa mite is dead, the predatory mite will suck body juices out of the mite as food, then the hungry predatory mite will look for new prey.

According to Geert, beekeeping must be kept simple and it is important to follow the nature of the bees. Too much human intervention and complicated working methods make it more difficult for the bees. Bees are extremely sensitive to stress factors and these are often strongly present in traditional beekeeping. To name just a few: the use of a varroa grid, queen excluders, smoke, replacing the honey stores with sugar for winter, opening and checking the hive too often, etc. Geert is convinced that being able to think like a bee and feel what they may or may not like is very important and a required quality of a beekeeper.

Using Warré hives you get as close to the natural habitat of the bees as possible. Using medicines or different acids to fight the varroa mite is something Geert can’t understand knowing that it is also possible to use a natural enemy of the varroa mite instead. On the internet, Geert bumped into a video made by British researchers who filmed a bee population living in the wild. To his big surprise, Geert saw predatory mites running on the comb. Something that the makers of the film had not noticed. This was the best proof for Geert that these predatory mites also have a function within a hive in the wild.While many beekeepers try to prevent the swarming of their colonies, Geert loves it when his number of colonies multiply in this natural way. When it comes to the honey harvest, Geert first examines how much honey his hives need to survive themselves. He will only harvest the honey if they have too much. Processing the honey happens with full dedication using the home-made honey press. Whatever Geert does to his bees, his first thoughts always go to what is best for them. To Geert beekeeping is no longer a leisure activity, it has become a way of life.

Because bees are suffering in this world, Geert wants to pass on his knowledge to future generations. You can download the full publication through this link. Please also have a look at Geert’s personal website (www.delachendebijenkast.be) and get to know about Geert’s beekeeping method. Geert is also one of the core-members of the Belgian Natural Beekeeping Collective (www.natuurlijkimkeren.org).

We are able to ship this product to multiple countries such as Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Austria. If you want to order it from other countries please contact us for the delivery costs and possibilities, you can send us an e-mail on: info@biobestrijding.nl