AUGUST 2018 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC Science should underpin colony management


Spreadsheet allows beekeepers to dig deep into mite control strategies


Story by MYRNA STARK LEADER


KELOWNA – Anyone who’s


been involved with bees for any length of time knows Randy Oliver, or at least his name. And if you aren’t in the know, Google “beekeeping advice” – one of the top hits is from Oliver’s site, [scientificbeekeeping.com]. Oliver and his two sons manage about 1,000 colonies for migratory pollination and produce queens, nucleus colonies (nucs) and honey in Grass Valley, California. With a master’s degree in biological science and 40-plus years of practical experience, Oliver is passionate about the importance of data in finding solutions to issues facing apiarists.


During the annual BC


Honey Producers Association conference in Kelowna late last year, Oliver presented three major projects he’s working on that put data to work for beekeepers. The first – and perhaps most important – is a spreadsheet designed to calculate mite buildup and the effectiveness of various forms of mite control in hives. The tool is freely available online for anyone to use and customize.


When the producer plugs data into the spreadsheet, the tool runs complex calculations quickly to show various outcomes. “If they want to try something out, my sons say let’s plug this into the model and see what happens. We’ve found it very accurate and very useful,” he explains. “I’m getting positive feedback from around the world, and the tool is already being translated into other languages.”


Being able to gauge the


effectiveness of control strategies is important, Oliver says, because colony losses are – in his opinion – largely preventable if growers treat their hives right. This means tailoring mite control to the hive, which in turn limits the spread of viruses. “It’s not varroa that kills the


colony, it’s the viruses, mainly deformed wing virus,” he says. There used to be multiple


forms of it but with treatment, one type has come to dominate. He says typically there is an


evolutionary process to get rid of pests but with varroa, the industry skipped nature and began using chemicals immediately. “Some beekeepers are


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are interested in going deeper and others don’t want to take the time to go deeper,” he says. “With the rate of colony losses in the beekeeping community that are largely preventable, it becomes obvious that a lot of keepers don’t want to take the time to keep bees well because if you learn how to keep bees well, you can avoid that loss rate.”


Other projects


Oliver is also developing a method to quickly assess breeding stock for mite resistance. A third project complements the identification of mite-resistant bees by boosting bees’ natural resistance with a dose of oxalic acid, a natural miticide approved for use in organic systems. A formula of the acid mixed with glycerin won’t contaminate the honey or harm the queens. Oliver has been


experimenting with shop towels moistened with the solution, which he places on top of hives. The bees seem to chew the towels, which moves the acid into the hive and takes effect. It’s still a work in progress, but Oliver is hopeful. “I’m using an extended


release formula of oxalic acid which is a natural, organically approved miticide and mixing it with glycerin and doing field trials to get that approved by the EPA,” he says. Oliver told the audience that the business of beekeeping needs to continually evolve just like


nature. Beekeepers, like other business owners, need to anticipate change, monitor what actually happens, then adapt quickly. Hobby beekeepers who want to grow their colonies need to keep this in mind, Oliver says. Many are idealistic but don’t understand the science that’s fundamental to what they do. “People who are treatment-


free … are ethically problematic to their bees,” he says. “Many of them think they can wear the badge of doing something that is environmentally helpful [but] in reality, they’re not. And it’s not because they are trying to hurt anything. It’s because they don’t know.” It all comes down to a question of motivation, Oliver says. Beekeepers who get into the business to support pollinators should consider other, more helpful options. “A lot of beekeepers enter


beekeeping with the wrong motivation. They think they are going to help nature, help the honeybee. Well, the honeybee is not even native to this country and the second thing is, they are not threatened in any way,” he says. “What I suggest to people who want to help with Mother Nature is to plant flowers and have a more green footprint in your habits – use less fossil fuels and support sustainably produced agriculture. Those are things that you can do to support the environment. You don’t have to get a beehive to save the bees.”


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