Economic Viability of a Varroa IPM System

1. Economic Viability of a Varroa IPM System Keith S. Delaplane, James D. Ellis University of Georgia www.ent.uga.edu/bees

3. ConcludedColonies with resistant queens and screen bottoms tend to: • Have fewer mites, especially at seasons when mite depredation is most severe, • Have delayed onset of economic threshold.

4. . . . and detectedFavorable compensatory interactions: • Between resistant queens and screens, • Between queens and screens and non-isolated apiaries.

7. Design

8. Design • 2 years

9. Design • 2 years • 6 beekeeper collaborators

10. Design • 2 years • 6 beekeeper collaborators • 21-30 colonies each

11. Design • 2 years • 6 beekeeper collaborators • 21-30 colonies each • 3 treatments within apiary

12. Design • 2 years • 6 beekeeper collaborators • 21-30 colonies each • 3 treatments within apiary • chemical: Feb and Aug chemical

13. Design • 2 years • 6 beekeeper collaborators • 21-30 colonies each • 3 treatments within apiary • chemical: Feb and Aug chemical • IPM: bottom screen + Russian 

14. Design • 2 years • 6 beekeeper collaborators • 21-30 colonies each • 3 treatments within apiary • chemical: Feb and Aug chemical • IPM: bottom screen + Russian  • Control: no chemical or IPM, non-selected 

15. Design • Monitored: • Mite fall • Onset of threshold • Honey yield • Time spent working colonies • Queen loss (replaced as found)

16. 2005 2006 Excluding colonies treatment threshold

24. screens 31.5 Colony work

28. ConclusionsCompared to control colonies or chemical colonies, IPM colonies:

29. ConclusionsCompared to control colonies or chemical colonies, IPM colonies: • Compared favorably for average mite levels,

30. ConclusionsCompared to control colonies or chemical colonies, IPM colonies: • Compared favorably for average mite levels, • Compared favorably for onset of threshold,

31. ConclusionsCompared to control colonies or chemical colonies, IPM colonies: • Had highest honey production,

32. ConclusionsCompared to control colonies or chemical colonies, IPM colonies: • Had highest honey production, • Had highest total work hours,

33. ConclusionsCompared to control colonies or chemical colonies, IPM colonies: • Had highest honey production, • Had highest total work hours, • Fewest colony deaths, and

34. ConclusionsCompared to control colonies or chemical colonies, IPM colonies: • Lowest queen replacement rate.