Bees have been in steep decline in Britain in recent decades due in part to the varroa mite, which is widely blamed for the mysterious “colony collapse disorder” causing the decimation of entire hives around the world. But a current treatment could kill up to 98 per cent of varroa mites in a hive without harming any of the bees inside if it is used correctly, and would offer a cheap and simple solution to the problem, experts claim. Although oxalic acid is known to be deadly to the mite, it is often applied in quantities which are too low to be effective, or so high that it harms the bees as well as the parasite. Now researchers have found that when applied as a vapour rather than a solution, and at a particular dosage, the treatment can remove virtually all traces of varroa from hives without any harmful outcomes for bees. Because the treatment is simple and cheap, costing about 10p and taking 10 minutes to apply, it could present an effective and affordable solution to the crisis affecting Britain’s bees, it was claimed.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Sep 2013 14:42:09 +0000
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