Showing posts with label miticide resistance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label miticide resistance. Show all posts

Varroa Control: A new class of miticide!

Thursday, 11 September 2025

A future weapon for Canadian beekeepers may be available in the battle against Varroa mites.  Our southern neighbors in the USA have a new product which has been submitted for EPA approval and is expected to be accessible for beekeepers soon.  This new registration, if approved, will be a bioinsecticide purported to be safe for humans and bees as well as highly effective against Varroa mites.  Read along as we explore a new category of miticide which may be an effective tool to help manage mite populations.

Varroa Control: A new class of miticide!

Vadescana is a new active ingredient which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed for the control of Varroa mites. The EPA is prioritizing product registrations for active ingredients targeting Varroa mites.  So, there is an expectation that vadescana will be available to US beekeepers in the very near future.  Once approved, the developer and manufacturer, Greenlight Biosciences ™, will distribute the product for US beekeepers.  It is sold under the name, “norroa” in a sucrose pouch (see figure).

What is unique about this acaricide is the active ingredient.  It relies on an innovative RNA formulation which has high species specificity 1.  Ribonucleic acid, or RNA, is present in the cells of all living organisms and is typically a cellular messenger (mRNA).  Vadescana uses a particular form of RNA called double stranded RNA (dsRNA). Double stranded RNA, often associated with viruses, can be modified to interfere with gene expression in a target organism.  The active mechanism of dsRNA, used as a pesticide, is to silence certain genes in the targets species which in turn disrupts or interferes with specific cellular functions.   Hence the term interference RNA, or RNAi, is sometimes applied to these compounds.

Specifically in Varroa mites, vadescana targets the calmodulin gene sequence.  This gene is linked to a number of cellular functions but in relation to the control of Varroa mites, the silencing of this gene inhibits female reproduction 2.  Due to the unique sequence of the target gene in Varroa mites, generally other species with the calmodulin gene should not be affected.  The exception to this could be other close relatives, from the class Arachnida, which may suffer off-target effects.  Interestingly, in this category are tracheal mites and Tropilaelaps mites.

The application of the product "norroa™" containing the active ingredient vadescana.


In Canada the use of pesticides and pest management products is regulated by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA).  They are tasked with protecting human health and the environment, specifically when it comes to registering pesticide products.  According to a PMRA information note there are currently no dsRNA miticide products available or under review for registration in Canada.  There are limited examples of this technology being used in agriculture in Canada.  Growing modified corn which expresses dsRNA for the control of the Western Corn Rootworm has been approved.  This is a systemic product, in that the plant itself produces the dsRNA, rather than a direct application required for mite control.  The type of application that would be for the control of Varroa mite is referred to as spray induced gene silencing.  The PMRA is expecting applications for the registration of dsRNA products and has a working group looking at these technologies in anticipation.  Future applicants submitting products for registration must include data on toxicology, and both occupational and environmental hazards.  Currently the use of spray-application dsRNA-based pesticides, is not permitted in Canada with the one exception of when used for research purposes.

Concerns over the efficacy of conventional acaricide products for the control of Varroa mites creates anticipation when new products are proposed.  These may be entirely new compounds, such as vadescana, or new applications of already approved active ingredients.  An example of the latter would be oxalic acid / glycerin products currently being considered for registration by PMRA.  The additional tools are necessary for beekeepers to combat mites, especially in consideration of the challenges presented by climate change and reduced chemical miticide efficacy.  It is unknown how quickly the mites will develop resistance to vadescana.  One research trial has indicated that resistance can develop as quickly as 7 – 11 generations in targeted insects 3.  This would indicate that dsRNA, if registered in Canada, will be part of an overall IPM approach to managing Varroa mites.

RNAi, as a new mode of action bioinsecticide, may provide solutions to overcome some of the shortcomings of chemical miticides, especially related to overuse and resistance. There are real advantages to these products in being target specific and quick to degrade in the environment.  There are still questions on long term efficacy and costs of this novel treatment.  The current method of application, sucrose pouch, indicates that this will not be a product used during honey production.  As an additional management tool for Varroa mites, dsRNA has potential as a upcoming miticide for use by Canadian beekeepers! One to watch for the future.

Connecting with ATTTA Specialists

If you’d like to connect with ATTTA specialists or learn more about our program, you can:

visit our website at https://www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/honey-bees/

Email attta@perennia.ca


References and Reading

1.    1. Bulgarella, M., Reason, A., Baty, J.W., McGruddy, R.A., Gordon, E.R., Devisetty, U.K. and Lester, P.J., 2025. In Silico Analysis of Potential Off-Target Effects of a Next-Generation dsRNA Acaricide for Varroa Mites (Varroa destructor) and Lack of Effect on a Bee-Associated Arthropod. Insects, 16(3), p.317.

 2. McGruddy, R.A., Smeele, Z.E., Manley, B., Masucci, J.D., Haywood, J. and Lester, P.J., 2024. RNA interference as a next‐generation control method for suppressing Varroa destructor reproduction in honey bee (Apis mellifera) hives. Pest Management Science, 80(9), pp.4770-4778.

 3. Narva, K., Toprak, U., Alyokhin, A., Groves, R., Jurat‐Fuentes, J.L., Moar, W., Nauen, R., Whipple, S. and Head, G., 2025. Insecticide resistance management scenarios differ for RNA‐based sprays and traits. Insect Molecular Biology.

 PMRA 2024. Information note regarding dsRNA-based pesticides https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/consumer-product-safety/reports-publications/pesticides-pest-management/fact-sheets-other-resources/information-note-regarding-dsrna-based-pesticides.html


Early Season Regional Trends in Varroa Mite Populations

Thursday, 19 June 2025

The Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture is continuing with their second year of a regional varroa mite survey. This survey aims to determine seasonal trends in varroa mites across the region, and help assess the efficacy of mite management. This week’s blog will explore early season trends in varroa mite populations across our Maritime region, and discuss how this year’s mite levels compare to 2024, and other regions within Canada.

Early Season Regional Trends in Varroa Mite Populations

For the second season, ATTTA is conducting a regional varroa mite survey to assess temporal trends in mite levels and to assess the efficacy of amitraz (active ingredient in Apivar® - a synthetic miticide). This year, the survey consists of 20 beekeepers (7 in Nova Scotia, 9 in New Brunswick, and 4 on Prince Edward Island). For trial one, which took place mostly before colonies went to wild blueberry pollination, there was a total of 71 samples/colonies included.

Overall, the average mite load for trial one (April 30, 2025 – May 28, 2025) was 0.02%, 96% of colonies had 0% mite load, and no colonies had a mite load greater than 1% (Figure 1). The average number of bees per sample for trial one is 278, with a target sample size of 300. In comparison, in 2024, the average mite load for trial one (May 16, 2024 – June 25, 2024) was 0.09%, 93% of colonies had 0% mite load, and 5% colonies had a mite load greater than 1% (Figure 1). More data is needed to help establish a baseline for mite levels in spring across our region. Although there is a decrease in the percentage of colonies with detectable varroa, and the percentage of colonies with mites levels above 1%, between 2024 and 2025 (Figure 1), additional data is needed to support a downward trend, or assess if levels are potentially increasing or remaining stable from year to year.

Figure 1. Comparison of varroa mite loads in the Maritime region between 2024 and 2025.

It is important that beekeepers understand that 0% mite load, as determined by an alcohol wash, does not mean that no mites are present within the colony. There is always a background population of varroa mites within a single colony, and without frequent and representative monitoring the population can quickly increase above the level of detection. Beekeepers should manage their mite levels to be below 1% all throughout the beekeeping season, and intervene with treatment if levels reach/surpass 1% (1 mite per 100 bees).

A recently published study which took place in Ontario beekeeping operations (2015-2019) demonstrated a similar seasonal pattern in varroa mite populations, as observed from ATTTA’s research in 2024, and preliminary data for 2025 (Sobkowich et al. 2025). This seasonal pattern can be described by an initial spike in early spring around hive opening, followed by a sharp decline due to initial spring treatments, succeeded by a gradual population increase over the summer, leading to exponential growth in the mite population in early fall. This seasonal trend is consistent with previous knowledge on varroa mite population dynamics and global observations based on reported mite levels to the World Organization for Animal Health (Fanelli and Tizzani, 2020).

The Maritime industry must remain vigilant regarding the efficacy of Apivar® (active ingredient amitraz) as this is the only recommended synthetic miticide available, and widespread resistance is being reported across the globe. Following severe colony losses reported in early 2025 across the United States, researches of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), analyzed honey bee samples from 6 large commercial beekeeping operations and have submitted their results for publication. These operations represent a collective summertime high of 183,750 managed colonies, which is roughly 6.8% of all managed colonies in the United States. One of the preliminary results of this research is that 100% of the sampled varroa mites (n = 39) had amitraz resistant genetics.

Overall, although the early season trends in varroa mite populations across the Maritime region seem well managed, beekeepers must remain vigilant when monitoring for mites, and practice integrated pest management in all aspects of their mite management. For questions regarding mite management and treatment please reach out to the ATTTA team. We would like to thank all beekeepers who participated in trial one of our survey. We will be reporting on trial two of our survey later this summer.

Connecting with ATTTA Specialists

If you’d like to connect with ATTTA specialists or learn more about our program, you can:

visit our website at https://www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/honey-bees/

Email attta@perennia.ca

References

Fanelli, A., & Tizzani, P. (2020). Spatial and temporal analysis of varroosis from 2005 to 2018. Research in Veterinary Science, 131(January), 215–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2020.04.017

Sobkowich, K.E., Berke, O., Bernardo, T.M., Pearl, D.L. and Kozak, P., 2025. Time series analysis of Varroa destructor counts in Ontario honey bee colonies and their association with weather variables. Journal of Apicultural Research, pp.1-8.









Review: Staying Ahead of Varroa Challenges and Strategies – Series 1: Varroa Management Successes and Failures

Thursday, 20 March 2025

On Saturday March 15th there was a international webinar on Varroa mite management. The webinar was organized by the Canadian Honey Council, in collaboration with the Canadian Bee Tech Transfer Programs and with support from Véto-pharma. The first webinar of this series had several guest speakers to discuss topics such as acaricide resistance management, Varroa management programs, and a panel discussion on the various Canadian provinces’ challenges and strategies for managing Varroa. Read this week’s blog to learn the highlights of the event.

Review: Staying Ahead of Varroa Challenges and Strategies – Series 1: Varroa Management Successes and Failures

The webinar “Staying ahead of Varroa: Challenges and Strategies – Series 1: Varroa Management Successes and Failures” took place on Saturday March 15th with over 200 virtual attendees across Canada, and with representation across the globe. This was the first webinar of the series with additional webinars expected in the future. The event was organized by the Canadian Honey Council, in collaboration with the Canadian Bee Tech Transfer Programs and with support from Véto-pharma.

Rod Scarlet (Canadian Honey Council) and Ulkrike Marsky (Véto-pharma) welcomed all attendees and presenters to the event and gave an overview of the webinar’s purpose. The first talk of the event was from Phil Lester (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand) who discussed integrated resistance management for acaracide use on Varroa mites. He discussed three key principles for integrated resistance management, including: alternating acaracides with different modes of action when providing chemical treatment, reducing the selective advantage of resistant individuals in a population (either increasing the pesticide uptake or suppressing detoxifying enzymes), and complementing chemical treatments with cultural and physical control measures. He also discussed the main two challenges for integrated resistance management, which include: no clear evidence of reduced reproduction of pesticide resistant mites (lack of fitness effects), and the incestuous mating system of Varroa mites which allows for pesticide resistant genetics to be maintained. Another interesting topic that was discussed is that some of the methods of integrated resistance management, such as pesticide rotation, will help slow resistance from occurring, but these practices are far less effective at removing existing pesticide resistance within Varroa mite populations.

The next talk was from Geoff Wilson (Saskatchewan Agriculture’s Provincial Specialist, Apiculture) who discussed Saskatchewan’s bee health program with a focus on Varroa mite management. Overall, Saskatchewan’s beekeeping industry has a focus on consistent and repeated messaging on Varroa mite management. The Saskatchewan government, association, tech transfer program and researchers all work to provide the same message on best practices for monitoring and treating Varroa mites. Geoff discussed the various miticides available to Saskatchewan beekeepers explaining when and how to apply the treatment, emphasizing always to follow the manufacturer instructions, and explaining how various treatments target mites based on the honey bee and mite life cycle.

Staying ahead of Varroa: Challenges and Strategies – Series 1: Varroa Management Successes and Failures

The final talk of the webinar was from Julie Ferland (Quebec Provincial Apiculturist). Julie presented a case study on the management of Varroa mites within a Quebec operation. She also discussed the history of the impact Varroa mites have had on the Canadian beekeeping industry including winter mortality and the overall number of colonies in the industry. Finally, Julie gave an overview on integrated pest management in Quebec discussing best management practices for treating and monitoring colonies

The webinar concluded with a panel discussion on managing Varroa mites within the various Canadian provinces/regions and the panelists consisted of Andrew Byers (Atlantic Tech Transfer Program), Matthew Polinsky (Manitoba Tech Transfer Program), Julie Ferland (Quebec Provincial Apiculturist) and Medhat Nasr (Saskatchewan Tech Transfer Program). The panelist discussed trends in Varroa mite levels within each province/region and spoke to mite treatment options. An important message that came from the panel discussion is the importance of frequent and representative monitoring, and to consider that current established economic thresholds are conservative with lengthening beekeeping season. Beekeepers should now consider the need for chemical treatment if mite levels are at or exceeding 1%.

Thank you to all of the organizers of the first workshop of this series. The ATTTA team will share with the Atlantic industry when future webinars are scheduled.

Connecting with ATTTA Specialists

If you’d like to connect with ATTTA specialists or learn more about our program, you can:

visit our website at https://www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/honey-bees/

Email attta@perennia.ca


ATTTA Varroa Mite Report 2024

Thursday, 12 December 2024

The ATTTA team has now completed our regional Varroa mite survey and amitraz efficacy testing for the current year. This research is important to our Maritime industry as it provides an understanding of the Varroa mite levels across the region throughout the beekeeping season and indicates if both current Varroa management practices and treatment are effective at keeping levels under control. This week’s blog will provide a summary of the result for 2024, and a comprehensive report will be published online in the weeks to come.

ATTTA Varroa Mite Report 2024

This past season, the ATTTA team completed Varroa mite sampling from a total of 23 different commercial beekeepers from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. These representative beekeepers manage a significant portion of Maritime honey bee colonies, where 17% of Nova Scotia colonies are represented and between 25 to 30% of all New Brunswick colonies managed are represented. The survey included samples from 25 apiaries, 81 colonies, and included a total of 167 samples.

As shown in the graph below, the number of samples positive for Varroa mites increased by 61% from early-season (7%) to late-season (68%). The number of colonies above the economic threshold increased by 8% from early-season (2%) to late-season (10%).

Analysis of Varroa mite levels for 81 Maritime colonies, from 23 different beekeepers, at three time points throughout the beekeeping season in 2024 (between May 11 and September 24).

The results of the 2024 survey determined Varroa mite levels across the Maritime region increase throughout the beekeeping season as expected, where there is an increase in mites sampled between each trial. This makes early spring monitoring and treatment for Varroa mites crucial because populations can quickly get well beyond the economic threshold if waiting until the fall to treat colonies again.

Conventionally, with monthly monitoring, treatment is only indicated when the mite population is at or above the economic threshold. However, beekeepers should remember that current established economic thresholds need to be contemplated against the changing climate and lengthening of seasons. Also, treatments should be applied in consideration of the mite populations across an apiary and not individual colonies. Beekeepers in the Maritimes report having low levels of mites across an apiary with the exception of one or a small number of hives. This makes frequent and representative monitoring important for beekeepers.

Additionally, this past season, ATTTA tested the efficacy of Amitraz (active ingredient in Apivar®) against populations of mites collected throughout the Varroa mite survey. The results of the amitraz efficacy study for 2024 suggest low reduced efficacy of amitraz for a limited number of mites that were assessed. The efficacy level of amitraz was determined by calculating a resistance ratio which compared the amitraz sensitivity of mites tested within ATTTA’s study to a highly sensitive population of United States Department of Agriculture Varroa mites. The resistance ratio was determined to be 3.75, where a population with a resistance ratio under 5 has low reduced efficacy. However, multiple factors could have impacted the study, and the results should be interpreted with caution. One notable limitation is the relatively small sample size of mites that were included in the study, which may not be representative of the entire mite population. Additionally, the data was collected from just 2 beekeepers, which further limits the generalizability of the findings. The reason only 2 beekeepers were included within the testing is that most beekeepers did not have enough mites present to set-up a proper experiment replicate. Given these limitations, it would be premature to make a conclusion about any level of reduced efficacy to amitraz over the past 2 years, and the study needs to be replicated with a larger sample size of mites and more beekeeping operations represented.

Finally, the general trend observed is that with increasing concentration of amitraz there is increased mortality (see graph below). In other words, higher concentrations of amitraz are more effective at killing the mites, suggesting an ongoing dose-response relationship between the amitraz concentration and mite mortality. However, the sample size was too small to have enough statistical power to report a significant interaction. So the 2024 results were less than conclusive as to the comparable effect of amitraz concentration on mite mortality.

Analysis of the percent mortality of Varroa mites when exposed to 6 different concentrations of amitraz in a 20mL vial for an incubation period of 24 hours at 33 ± 1 °C. Sample size varies between 7 and 16 mites.

ATTTA plans to continue this study to assess how the efficacy of amitraz changes year to year, and the goal is to test a larger number of mites from more Maritime beekeepers. It is critically important to extend the effectiveness of amitraz-based products to control Varroa mites by practicing integrated pest management.

Overall, the results of the survey indicate that beekeepers are doing a good job at managing mites in the Maritimes, and that current treatments continue to be effective within the region.

Connecting with ATTTA Specialists

If you’d like to connect with ATTTA specialists or learn more about our program, you can:

visit our website at https://www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/honey-bees/

Email attta@perennia.ca

Miticide Resistance in Varroa Mites

Thursday, 14 July 2022

With high overwintering losses reported this year, the importance of Varroa mite management has been reinforced.  Last season, with an early spring, was longer than usual, providing ideal conditions for unchecked Varroa mite levels to dangerously increase.  In consideration of ongoing reports of high overwintering losses and the suggestion that Varroa mite management contributed to these losses, a look at Honey Bee pest control is topical.  This week’s blog looks at this alarming subject and summarizes a recently published review on acaricide resistance!* 

Also, a reminder Bleuets NB Blueberries is having a Field Day 2022 in Aulac on July 21st, 2022, from 10am to 2:30pm. Full details can be obtained through the Association: https://nbwildblue.ca/

Miticide Resistance in Varroa mites

There are three classes of chemical miticides that are used by most beekeepers: pyrethroids (fluvalinate and flumethrin), organophosphate (coumaphos), and formamidine (amitraz). Repeated usage of these miticides may cause accumulation and persistence of chemicals in the hive products (wax and honey). This suggests a health risk for honey bees and humans.  Long term use of these hive products, and accumulation of chemicals has the potential to reduce the efficacy for treatment against Varroa mites. This threat of resistance is something beekeepers should understand and therefore be able to work towards extending the efficacy of current treatments.

There are many ways that mites can adapt to survive prescribed doses of miticides, which can help to create widespread resistance (Mitton et al. 2022).  Physiological mechanisms for resistance in Varroa mites can be split into five different categories (Mitton et al. 2022). Mechanisms can be inherited which reduce or prevent the penetration of miticides into the body of the mites. Mites have enzymes and proteins in their body which can bind to molecules in miticides and transfer them away from the targeted site to the fat body or hemolymph for storage. Behaviors can be developed by mites to avoid toxic compounds. Mites can increase the level of enzymes in their body, which increases the rate of metabolism, and breaks down miticides to less toxic forms. Also, the target site for the miticides can be altered, which results in the miticide being less toxic (Mitton et al. 2022). It is important to mention that resistance can also be caused or compounded due to poor management practices of beekeepers.

A healthy frame of bees: queen, worker bees, drones and brood!
                                                                    (ATTTA©2021)


When trying to control Varroa mites, the type of miticide, the amount, the concentration, the mode of action of the miticide to mites, the persistence of previous treatments, the number of applications, and the hive and apiary conditions can all cause the spread of resistance in Varroa mites, if not managed properly (Mitton et al. 2022). These variables should be considered before treating for Varroa mites, because this will prevent the emergence of resistant populations of mites. Some ways to avoid these issues is to use a rotation of miticides and to exactly follow the instructions on the label for application.  Also, ensure the correct amount is used and treat at the correct time.  Only treat when mite levels are above the economic threshold and follow correct Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices. Please check out the ATTTA factsheet for economic thresholds. 

When there is resistance suspected in an apiary, it is important to test the miticides being used, by doing a Pettis test. If resistance is found it is crucial to use different control methods. An integrated pest management plan should be used by every beekeeper to prevent the spread of resistance in Varroa mites to miticides. There are a number of alternative methods that can be used for the control of Varroa mites to prevent resistance, including “soft miticides”. These miticides include organic acids and essential oils, which have been shown to have high efficacy, a low probability for resistance in mites, and low risk to accumulation in hive products. See the ATTTA factsheet for more treatment options. ApiLifeVar® is another option for a soft miticide, which has just been recently registered for use in Canada.

 

*G. Mitton, F. Arcerito, H. Cooley, G. Fernandez de Landa, M. Eguaras, S. Ruffinengo, and M. Maggi. 2022. More than sixty years living with Varroa destructor: a review of acaracide resistance. International Journal of Pest Management. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.dal.ca/10.1080/09670874.2022.2094489

Written by John MacDonald, ATTTA Seasonal Apiculturist johnmacdonald@perennia.ca


Connecting with ATTTA Specialists

 

If you’d like to connect with ATTTA specialists or learn more about our program, you can:

 

visit our website at https://www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/honey-bees/

 

Email abyers@perennia.ca



Nova Scotia Annual Beekeeper Symposium

Thursday, 3 March 2022

This past weekend, ATTTA was pleased to participate in the Nova Scotia Annual Beekeeper Symposium. The meeting was well attended with many engaging speakers covering a range of topics. Today we invite you to look back on the symposium with us and revisit some of the major themes. 

Nova Scotia Annual Beekeeper Symposium 

The main speaker of the event was Dr. Elemir Simko, a professor of veterinary pathology with the University of Saskatchewan. Dr. Simko spoke on American Foulbrood Disease (AFB) and European Foulbrood Disease (EFB) and presented recent publications related to work on these diseases. One such publication is related to a new approach for monitoring AFB. The current practice for identifying AFB in honey bee populations is at the individual level, by examination of hives and obtaining samples for lab diagnostics. Saskatchewan researchers found evidence that AFB can be monitored at the population level by testing pooled honey samples (Zabrodski et al. 2022). This is a significant finding because it is a less labour intensive and time consuming technique to identify AFB in an apiary, at large. 

Dr. Simko also spoke to the importance of proper management of AFB. Being able to properly identify and treat for AFB is extremely important for beekeepers at all levels of operation. The reason being that bees are not confined to the hives from which they were born and are spatially bound only by the distance they can fly. The reality of beekeeping is that neighboring apiaries inevitably have cross mingling of bees. With this mingling of individual bees comes the mingling of pests and diseases. As such, it is every beekeeper’s responsibility to be able to identify and properly manage AFB not only for your own apiary but for those around you.  

A shotgun brood pattern and sunken brood cappings are non-specific signs of AFB infection within a honey bee colony (photo credit Rob Synder www.beeinformed.org)

Proper management of pests and disease was a reoccurring theme throughout the symposium. Dr. Richardson of the Nova Scotia Veterinary Medical Association emphasized in his talk on antibiotic resistance that is it critical to follow the directions for use on antibiotics to prevent the development of bacterial resistance. He also encouraged all beekeepers to consider developing relationships with a local veterinarian, because a Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship is a prerequisite to accessing those antibiotics used for treating bacterial diseases such as AFB.  

Antibiotics are not the only treatment which can lose efficacy due to resistance development. Nova Scotia’s Provincial Apiarist Jason Sproule touched on resistance development as well, in regard to varroa mites, urging beekeepers to follow label instructions and practice integrated pest management. Following instructions on chemical treatments ensures that the treatment will be as effective as possible and ultimately extends the longevity of the product as a management tool. Improper use can create conditions for pests to develop resistance, thereby reducing the effectiveness of a treatment in the short and long term. Integrated pest management practices also improve the longevity of a treatment by implementing a range of methods to manage pests and disease. 

To cover all of the interesting topics and speakers at the event would take a weekend! Meetings are a great way to expand your beekeeping knowledge and get local tips. They are also valuable social experiences to develop relationships within your beekeeping community. As events occur in your own region, we encourage you to attend and hope to see you there!

Zabrodski, Michael W., Jessica E. DeBruyne, Geoff Wilson, Igor Moshynskyy, Mohsen Sharafi, Sarah C. Wood, Ivanna V. Kozii, et al. 2022. “Comparison of Individual Hive and Apiary-Level Sample Types for Spores of Paenibacillus Larvae in Saskatchewan Honey Bee Operations.” Edited by Nicolas Chaline. PLOS ONE 17 (2): e0263602. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263602.



Connecting with ATTTA Specialists


If you’d like to connect with ATTTA specialists or learn more about our program, you can: