Varroa mite wreaks havoc in Swiss bee colonies
October 19, 2015
From: BEEKeeper Tom’s Blog
Swiss #beekeepers are hoping for a cold autumn and spring after last year’s mild temperatures turned honeycombs into honeyed tombs – mostly because of the #Varroa mite, which feeds on healthy bees.
The past few years have been tough for bee colonies almost everywhere. For example, colony collapse disorder was a massive problem in the United States in 2007. But this year has proven disastrous for honeybees and their keepers in Switzerland. A study of a thousand Swiss hives shows that 50 per cent of the bees did not survive the winter of 2011-2012.
There are many hypotheses suggesting why so many bees have died – from a build-up of pesticides to a loss of feeding area diversity, as well as climate change, fungal infections or even electromagnetic waves. However, researchers think the Varroa mite is the biggest culprit.
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