Winters can be tough on managed honey bee colonies, with beekeepers in the United States reporting that one-third of their colonies die each winter.
Winters can be tough on managed honey bee colonies, with beekeepers in the United States reporting that one-third of their colonies die each winter. A new study by Penn State researchers has found that using not one but multiple pest treatments may help bees make it to spring.
The researchers found that beekeepers who used a combination of treatments for Varroa mites — tiny parasites that can weaken and spread diseases to honey bees — had higher winter colony survival than those who used only one type of treatment. The findings were published in the Journal of Insect Science.
Additionally, while weather significantly impacted winter colony survival, beekeepers using these integrated pest management strategies — where multiple methods are used to control Varroa mites — had higher colony survival rates even in harsh weather conditions.
Read more at: Penn State University
The study may provide beekeepers with information to help make decisions about managing their colonies to combat these high colony losses during the winter. (Photo Credit: Annie Spratt via Unsplash)
