Stressors
While the Varroa mite is the number one enemy to honey bees, we know that many factors can affect a hive’s health. A lack of adequate forage, parasites and diseases, and overwintering are all stressors to colonies.
Dick Rogers provides his prediction ahead of the 2020 Overwintering Colony Loss Report.
The Western honey bee, Apis mellifera, is a highly valued insect, as honey bee colonies not only produce honey but also other useful products, including wax, propolis, pollen and venom. Solving the Varroa problem would make a world of difference to the health of honey bees. Bayer’s Dick Rogers shares some proactive hive management tips.
One of the honey bee's worst enemies is a tiny mite called Varroa destructor. It is small and yet highly dangerous: the Varroa destructor mite is the most destructive enemy of the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera). The parasite has now spread to almost all parts of the world – except for Australia – and is a serious threat to bee health.
Dick Rogers provides his prediction ahead of the 2019 Overwintering Colony Loss Report.
Anyone who knows me will not be shocked to learn that I am not a gambler. Just the thought of placing a bet on a high stakes game in Las Vegas is enough to make me break out in a cold sweat. This probably has less to do with my being a spendthrift (although some might wish to argue that point) and more to do with my discomfort in being unable to predict the unpredictable. After all, relying on random chance is not a good prerequisite for any scientist, particularly one involved in honey bee research.