Creating a honey bee management plan is crucial to successful beekeeping. This plan is developed for the Columbia Gorge Region (northern Oregon – Southern Washington). The region spans from Portland Oregon east to Goldendale Washington. The geography shifts from a moist coastal climate to desert like.
Varroa destructor mites arrived in the United States in 1987, that is 39 years ago. The War On Mites has only resulted is increasing colony losses. Key is a robust plan designed to improve nutrition, health and diminish Varroa mite loads.
Varroa destructor and its impacts on honey bee biology
The goal of the plan is to anticipate the chemical needs, purchasing ahead in case treatment is required. Just as importantly, is the other issues to include nutrition, what foliage is in bloom offering nectar and/or pollen.
A significant resource is the Honey Bee Health Coalition Varroa Management Guide
The honey bee season begins in January and ends in December. The months of November to January, the queen takes a siesta from laying eggs. Around mid-January the queen restarts her egg laying with around 400 eggs per day. She must replace the ‘winter bees’ (approximately 10,000), then build the ‘summer bees’ upward to about 50,000.
Integrated Pest Management practices include:
Awareness
- conducting research into colony pest and diseases to become more vigilant toward identification and courses of action.
Monitoring
- assessing Varroa destructor mite loads is essential. Sampling for Varroa Mites . Monitoring should be performed at least monthly from April through October. It is also critical to assess two weeks post treatment to determine efficacy.
Treatment Thresholds
- Varroa monitoring thresholds for the months of April through August are 2 mites per 100 bees sampled. September and October thresholds are 3 mites per 100 bees sampled. For the months of April through June Varroa mites have a 8 to 11 times greater possibility of infesting a drone brood cell than a worker brood cell.
Solutions
- Should the Varroa mite loads exceed the threshold solutions to reduce the infestation may include the following:
- Requeening
- Supplementary feeding
- Quarantining
- Reducing stress
- Screened Bottom Boards
- Reducing condensation within the hive
IPM Actions
Biological
- Naturally occurring predators, parasites, and bacteria are included in this group. Varroa Sensitive Hygiene Queens bred for their ability to create daughters with enhanced abilities to detect and remove Varroa. Norroa is powered by vadescana, a new Mode of Action (MoA) for beekeeping based on RNAi.
Cultural
- Manipulate colony in order to reduce pests and diseases.
- Space colonies far apart
- Week Control
- Sanitation around the hive
- Traps (Yellow Jacket)
- General hygiene
Chemical Control
- Chemical control includes several miticides categorized as “soft” and “hard”. The choice is determined by the infestation levels, time of season, and ambient temperature.
- Consult the Honey Bee Health Coalition Varroa Management Guide for best choice based on the season.
Honey bees and their parasitic varroa mite cycle through four temporal phases. In some locations, there is one cycle of these four phases per year and, in other locations, more than one cycle.
The phases are:
- Dormant
- Population Increase
- Population Peak
- Population Decrease
JANUARY
(Coldest, averages around 39.6°F high, 27.7°F low, with significant snowfall (avg. 10-14.6 in.)). A view of the Auburn Winter Capped Honey Bee Brood Monitoring Program relates for the 2024-2025 Season the week of October 24 a significant amount of brood, November 7th brood has begun to diminish, November 21st appears to be steady from the 7th, but December 5th through February 13th no brood. Brood was found the week of February 27th. Based on this research an application of Oxalic Acid Vapor will be applied the first week of December, last week of December and middle of January 2026. Attention to stores by checking the HiveAlive Pollen Patties placed earlier on the upper box frames, adding an additional patty if necessary. The hive entrance will be inspected to clear any dead bees preventing egress by the bees. Lifting the hive from the back and bottom board to assess hive weight which relates to honey stores vital to cluster viability. Adding contact information to the Oregon State Beekeepers Swarm and Cutout lists. Adding contact information to the Columbia Gorge Beekeepers Association (local to Columbia Gorge region). From January to April is a critical time for the colony. Starvation due to the queens effort to expand the population often depletes nutritional sources as foraging opportunities are meager.
- Weigh hive by lifting from the back and bottom board to assess hive weight
- Begin emergency feeding with frames of honey, sugar candy, dry sugar, or Hive Alive if necessary.
- Clean, paint, and repair equipment
- Check apiary for vandalism, hive covers blown off, and so forth
- Read external entrance hive
- Order packages, nucs, queens, if not done in December; and of course required
- Consider your mite and disease management program and order / construct the necessary materials (screen bottom boards, drone foundation, chemicals, sugar shake supplies, and so on)
FEBRUARY
(Still cold, but temperatures start to rise slowly. Typically, there is one week in February that witnesses sun and voiding flight weather.) The queen begins to replace the winter bee population in January and February. This becomes a period of Population Increase. Winter conditions remain with potential snow, cold temperatures, high winds and moisture. Inspecting the exterior of all hives to ensure none have issues with covers or toppling. Cleaning out dead bees from the hive entrance. Lifting the top cover to view the HiveAlive Pollen Patty for the purpose of adding an additional if necessary.
- Weigh hive by lifting from the back and bottom board to assess hive weight
- Check colonies for honey stores
- Continue emergency feeding with frames of honey, sugar candy, dry sugar, or Hive Alive if necessary.
- Read external external hive
- Continue to prepare equipment for coming season
- Conduct Post Mortem on dead colonies and clean them up Dead Colony Forensics
MARCH
(Warming up, highs around 53°F, lows 34°F, with decreasing snow/rain.) Weather is not conducive to and internal hive inspection as the girls remain in a cluster formation. Any removal of frames would ‘break’ the cluster seriously affecting the key role of protecting the queen. As in February, inspecting the hive cover to ensure it is firmly in place, removing any dead bees from the entrance and viewing the HiveAlive Fondant Patty ascertaining if a new one is necessary. Columbia Kittentail blooms near the abundant waterfalls throughout the region.
- Weigh hive by lifting from the back and bottom board to assess hive weight
- Continue emergency feeding with frames of honey, dry sugar, or Hive Alive if necessary.
- Read external entrance hive
- Feed Pollen Substitute Patty, if needed
- First quick inspection of brood nest, if weather permits (temps above 50 degrees for 3 consecutive days)
- Check for dead colonies, conduct post mortem, clean up
- Conduct Post Mortem on dead colonies and clean them up Dead Colony Forensics
- Put out Yellow Jacket/Wasp traps
- Clean out entrances and bottom boards
- Assemble section honey supers
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APRIL
(Significantly warmer, highs ~61°F, lows ~39°F, less rain). April finds a sporadic weather pattern vacillating from high winds, rain, and dips in temperature one day to blue skies with temperatures above 60º offering foraging opportunities. Balsamroot and Lupine come into their bloom In April and May. Toward the end of April the hive maybe opened for an inspection of the brood area, nutrition and Varroa infestation. There are Bigleaf and Vine Maples trees which offer an abundance of nectar in April and May. A view of temperatures dictates the timing of the inspection following three days of temperatures above 60º. An application of Apivar Strips as recommended by the Honey Bee Health Coalition. The Strips are not temperature dependent but must be removed two weeks prior to the nectar flow, which is late May or early June. Along with the Apivar Strips pouches of Norroa will be installed to render Foundress Mites infertile. April may find larvae with tinges of yellow indicative of European Foulbrood. The precipitating factor for this condition is the poor nutrition coming out of winter along with the frustration of foragers due to weather challenges. Adding sugar syrup, pollen patties or Hive Alive offers relief.
- Monitor colony stores, especially if weather is cold and wet
- Monitor colony for Varroa destructor mites – Sampling for Varroa Mites
- Inspect brood nest for laying queen, disease, and so forth
- Monitor colonies for queen cells
- Introduce package bees on drawn comb
- Requeen colonies with VSH queens
- Reverse brood chambers when weather moderates
- Add supers to strong colonies at time of maple or dandelion bloom
- Equalize strength of all colonies
MAY
(Mild, temperatures continue to rise, rainfall decreases. The sporadic weather pattern continues with days of sun interspersed with wind and rain.) Inspections on good weather days should include an assessment of brood (open and capped), nutritional support on brood frames and an eye to Royal Jelly in larval cells. An indication that additional nutritional support may be required. Are there any ‘pin hole’ cappings indicative of mites? Remove the Apivar Strips two weeks prior to nectar flow. Attention to the Portland nectar season as our region is about two weeks behind Portland. This becomes a great period to perform splits. Hive inspections should include observation of open brood for evidence of queen activity, potential swarms, and nutrition. Howell’s Daisy and Long-Beard Hawkweed are found near Multnomah Falls and higher elevation spots.
- Monitor colony for Varroa destructor mites – Sampling for Varroa Mites
- Monitor colonies for queen cells
- Control swarming
- Add more supers as necessary (oversuper)
- Place queen excluder below shallow super on colonies for comb honey
- Install packages or foundation
- Split strong colonies
- Capture swarms
- Cull and replace defective combs with full sheets of foundation
- Begin implementing an Integrate Pest Management Program for the control of mites
JUNE
(Sunny, pleasant, average highs rise, rainfall drops.) June finds the population at its peak. June is a time for the nectar flow. West of the Cascade Mountains the dominate nectar is from blackberries. East of the Cascades a desert like climate is seen. This geographic area is afforded waves of plants coming into bloom offering nectar and pollen from April through September. Attention to the brood frames for potentially becoming honey bound. Adding frame with wax comb or foundation using the Checkerboard method opens the brood space in support of the queen. Careful monitoring of Varroa destructor mites is imperative. Application of Formic Pro late June may be necessary.
- Monitor colony for Varroa destructor mites – Sampling for Varroa Mites
- Continue to check for queen cells
- Rear queens if you prefer your own stock
- Check colonies for disease and monitor for mites
- Remove comb honey supers when properly sealed (capped)
- Provide plenty of super space
- Control swarming
- Capture swarms
JULY
(Hottest month, highs around 82°F, sunny with minimal rain, very windy (great for kitesurfing/windsurfing)). July is the beginning of population decline. The month of July frustrates any opportunity for Varroa treatments. Should the Apivar Strips coupled with Norroa not dampen the mite loads, colonies will witness heavy infestation above ten percent. This is also a period of population decline, commensurate with increasing vectoring of viruses via the mite.
- Monitor colony for Varroa destructor mites – Sampling for Varroa Mites
- Remove comb honey supers when properly sealed (capped)
- Check for queen cells, especially in colonies used for queen rearing
- Add sufficient super space (undersuper)
- Remove and extract early season honey crop
- Freeze comb honey to prevent wax moth damage
AUGUST
(Similar to July, warm and sunny, peak of summer activities.) For the Columbia Gorge region August finds a lack of foliage offering nectar and pollen. Observation of brood frames and hive weights is prudent. Is there Royal Jelly in the brood cells of larvae? Is there a band of nectar/honey surrounding the brood? Is there a band of pollen between the nectar/honey and brood?
- Monitor colony for Varroa destructor mites – Sampling for Varroa Mites
- Check colonies for disease and monitor
- Remove and extract summer honey crop
- Remove section supers
- Do not work bees unless necessary to avoid robbing
- Add more supers if needed
SEPTEMBER
(Warm, sunny, a transition month before cooler weather sets in.) A critical month that may find colonies crashing from Varroa and its viral impacts. A second addition of Norroa along with Formic Pro (as advised by Honey Bee Health Coalition) with a view to the temperatures. Formic Pro may be used if temperatures are below 85º during the initial four to five days of treatment.
- Monitor colony for Varroa destructor mites – Sampling for Varroa Mites
- Check colonies for disease and monitor
- Provide supers for fall goldenrod and aster flows
- Requeen colonies with VSH Queens
- Unite (combine) weak colonies
OCTOBER
(Rapid increase in rainfall, cooler temps, autumn colors.) A serious review of the overall colony weight should be the focus. The girls have gathered all the available nectar to afford them winter support. Should the hive weight not be one-hundred twenty pounds, aggressive addition of nutrition must be implemented (e.g. HiveAlive Fondant Patty).
- Monitor colony for Varroa destructor mites – Sampling for Varroa Mites
- Prepare colonies for winter
- Begin fall feeding with heavy syrup (2:1) if needed
- Continue emergency feeding with frames of honey, dry sugar, or Hive Alive if necessary.
- Unite weak colonies with stronger colonies
- Put on entrance reducers to keep out mice
- Extract fall honey crop
NOVEMBER
(Getting cold, first significant snow usually arrives (around Nov 9th).) Removing any liquid nourishment to replace it with dry sugar on newspaper placed on the upper box frames, or a HiveAlive Fondant Patty as insurance against the colony cluster running out of stores. An assessment of the hive weight should be undertaken to discover if the overall weight is one-hundred twenty pounds sufficient to support the colony through the winter months. Placing a burlap sack or other absorbent material for the excess moisture during winter months is necessary. An application of Oxalic Acid Vapor may be applied late November.
- Finish handling honey crop
- Order new equipment for coming season
- Consider an Oxalic Acid Vaporization
- Develop and implement your honey (and other hive products) marketing program, especially for the holiday season
- Begin late-fall feeding: Hive Alive and/or Pollen Substitute Patty
- Weigh hive by lifting from the back and bottom board to assess hive weight
DECEMBER
(Coldest month, average low ~28-30°F, high ~39°F, wettest with ~7.7 inches of rain/snow.) This is a time where the region may be beset with heavy snow. An eye to hive weight is necessary, adding dry sugar or HiveAlive Fondant Patty as necessary. Two applications of Oxalic Acid Vapor may be applied the beginning of December and the end of December to mitigate the overwintered mite population toward a near zero mite presence come January / February as the queen restarts her egg laying in the Population Increase phase. This becomes a great month to take a deep dive into the year toward management practices that proved positive and those that require improvement.
- Consider an Oxalic Acid Vaporization
- Weigh hive by lifting from the back and bottom board to assess hive weight
- Repair and assemble hive equipment
- Order packages, queens, nucs, if you know your needs