Testing for resistant varroa

As resistance of honeybees to fluvalinate and coumaphos grows in the USA, USDA has launched a deliberately low-tech resistance test. Two samples of bees are placed in jars, exposed to strips of fluvalinate and coumaphos for six hours. Dead mites and remaining live mites are counted: mite kills below 50% indicate resistance, below 25% indicates “full resistance”.

British beekeepers have had access to a similar test for pyrethroid resistant mites for at least one season now. (Full instructions here.)