Introduction
Since its first discovery in England in 1992 the parasitic mite, Varroa destructor, has spread to infest colonies of honey bees throughout the UK. It has caused massive economic losses and expense for beekeepers, and its destructive power is evident from the huge number of colonies lost since it first arrived in Europe. Varroa management has now become a routine and essential part of bee husbandry.
In Scotland, some remote areas remain free from this damaging bee pest. To support these areas of varroa freedom, SASA offers a varroa screening service based on samples of floor debris or hive inserts (the natural drop method of monitoring).
Submitting a sample for analysis
Samples should be clearly labelled with the hive identifier and sent to "Bee Diseases" at the address in the ‘contact us’ box on the right of the screen. Please remember to include your own contact details for reporting of results.
Further Information
Further information on the varroa mite, its management, and how to interpret your results is available in the excellent ‘Varroa Management’ leaflet available on the [BeeBase] website
SASA