15/08/2026
As you have probably heard Varroa is slowly making it's way up the coast from NSW and I'm preparing for a first season contending with these horrid pests. There are 3 treatment approaches (well 4 if you include 'do nothing'). The first is chemical treatments, expensive fiddly and leaves a residue in the wax and eventually the honey. The second is organic chemicals but these too are fiddly and again, chemicals are involved. The third, and the route I've chosen, is a heat treatment regime. This leaves the honey and wax chemical free and, if done properly, is equally as effective as the chemicals. The only drawback is there is a high up-front cost. But I think the benefit of chemical free honey will be worth it in the long run. Once I've got the system working well I'm thinking of offering treatment and mentoring services to offset some of the cost. I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of this. [image from Wikipedia]
