A viewer recently commented about the use of powdered sugar for managing mites in beehives. Below is that comment and my reply:
Viewer:
In the 80s old beekeepers, and still today, use powdered sugar poured onto the top of the hive directly on the bees, getting them to start grooming each other. Mites fall to the bottom tray that has diatomaceous earth to kill the mites.
My response:
I understand the use of powdered sugar to stimulate grooming behavior among the bees, but I don’t practice or advocate for any external interventions to manage mites. Once the powdered sugar is gone, the bees will return to their natural state, and if they don’t have the traits to manage the mites themselves, then interventions must be repeated. This is an unsustainable approach and, as we’re seeing in places where treatments are common, supporting weak (susceptible) genetics promotes the spread of those genetics and continues a dependency on intervention.
As mites spread around the world, it was a reasonable conclusion that the Western Honeybee, without prior exposure to the parasites, had no way of combating the threat, so intervention was critical for survival. Now we have more experience and have had the opportunity to see how the bees reacted without intervention. In parts of the world where no treatments were used, the honeybees took about 5-7 years to go through a funnel of natural selection. Those bees with genetic traits for managing the mites survived and propagated, spreading those traits, while those without died out. The result is a stronger honeybee with better mite resistance and/or tolerance. Despite what we now know, the old mindset persists, and the “developed” world has been on the treatment treadmill for 30-40 years with no real progress against mites among conventionally raised bees.
Rather than interventions, no matter how “soft” they may seem, I advocate for allowing the bees to manage their mites and to let natural selection run its course. Feral bees – those that have lived without intervention for some time – have a higher likelihood of some developed mite resistance. When local bees are caught and kept, they will be better acclimated to the local seasons and nectar flows, reducing stress on the colony. In my own apiary, I keep only locally caught bees, use no treatments at all, and propagate from my strongest and most productive colonies. Losses are quite rare, and my winter survival rates, averaging 93% over the last few years, are better than what I see many conventional beekeepers reporting.
While many still hold to the idea that “we have to do something” about mites, I think that idea is misguided and sometimes intervention is more detrimental than allowing nature to take its course. By trusting and allowing the natural selection funnel to take its course, we promote stronger bees and reduce our workload as beekeepers.
For more information about my treatment-free practices, please watch the following video: