Determining the impact of Varroa on virus transmission in Australian bees
This research aimed to contribute to ongoing surveillance of the Australian honey bee virus landscape as varroa establishes and spreads.
HONEY BEE & POLLINATION
Evaluation of Anti-varroa Boards to Increase Honey Production in Australian Honeybees
27 pages
Published: 11 Mar 2010
Author(s): Spooner-Hart, Robert
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This RIRDC report evaluates the benefits of using modified hive bottom boards in the absence of varroa mite in Australia. These modified bottom boards had been primarily developed to assist in management of varroa mite overseas, but there was some anecdotal evidence from Europe and USA that they might stimulate hive activity, particularly early in the season. The project also assessed whether modified bottom boards provided any benefits for reducing small hive beetle infestations in hives, as overseas reports were not definitive.
These results, while conducted over only one season, suggest that there may not be any benefit in beekeepers changing from using conventional bottom boards in the absence of varroa mite.
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