In this Beekeeping Today Podcast Short, Dr. Dewey Caron returns with his monthly audio postcard—this time focused on August mite management and a remarkable discovery about honey bee learning. Dewey reminds beekeepers that August is a critical month to monitor and treat for varroa mites before their populations explode. He shares updates on new and emerging treatments, including Norroa (a dsRNA-based biopesticide), Mite Bee Gone (L-glutamic acid strips), and Apivar 2.0, as well as best practices for applying oxalic acid extended release strips like VarroxSan.

Dewey shifts from mites to mind-blowing research on bee communication. Drawing on the work of Dr. James Nieh, he explains how the waggle dance—used by bees to communicate foraging locations—is learned through social exposure, similar to how birds and humans acquire language. This study, featured in Science, marks the first demonstration of social learning in insect spatial communication.

This episode blends practical mite management insights with inspiring science, all in under 20 minutes. Stay proactive. Plan your treatments. And appreciate the depth of honey bee intelligence.

Links & Resources:

Overviews of mite control:

• Beekeeping Today Podcast Shorts on Varroa Treatments: https://www.beekeepingtodaypodcast.com/p/varroa/
• University of Massachusetts Extension Flyer on Varroa: https://www.mass.gov/doc/varroa-mite-ipm-brochure-english/download
• NY Bee Wellness presentation of Dr David Peck of BetterBee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4ALfqq3GT8

Veto Pharma (makers fo Apivar 2.0 and Apiguard and Varroa Easy Check sampling device) has 2 informative, nicely illustrated flyers:

• Integrated varroa mite management throughout the seasons - https://forms.newsletter.veto-pharma.com/5eff419fb85b5317165fde16/yBL1IKRLTxShk0jw3QcfXw/7eYSzqY0RyqLN5ngRfmpDw/form.html
• Varroa Mite Biology - https://forms.newsletter.veto-pharma.com/5eff419fb85b5317165fde16/O7Cp5mGSSpmFPTRAUADdmA/0DTVnqNkR32oXrlA35HsEA/form.html
• VitaBee Health products (makers of VarroxSan, VARROCheck sampling jar and Vita feed supplements) - https://www.vita-europe.com/beehealth/wp-content/uploads/vita-beekeeping-guide.pdf

MiteBeeGone: https://mitebeegone.com/

Additional Resouces

• Thomas A. O’Shea-Wheller, Asia Hall, Kirsty Stainton, Victoria Tomkies, Giles E. Budge, Selwyn Wilkins and Ben Jones. 2025. A large-scale study of Varroa destructor treatment adherence in apiculture. Entomologia Generalis.DOI: 10.1127/entomologia/2024/2758
• Reports on oxalic acid effectiveness from Canada Quebec: https://academic.oup.com/jinsectscience/article/24/3/14/7683875 and Ontario:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/8/724
• Science article on social learning in Dance Language https://labs.biology.ucsd.edu/nieh/papers/DongScience.pdf
• YouTube presentation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elWNc_1qm60

 

Brought to you by Betterbee – your partners in better beekeeping.

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