Varroa Alcohol Wash Bottle

Where can I purchase a Varroa Alcohol Wash Bottle?

Orara Valley honey makes Varroa Alcohol Wash Bottles, and we have them for sale on our website.

If you are in the Coffs Harbour area, we can offer free delivery when you purchase here.

Alternatively, we can mail your Varroa Alcohol Wash Kit Australia-wide when you purchase here.

Looking for value? Please take advantage of our six-pack of wash bottles. Purchase here.

Our double jar mite wash bottles have been used by NSW Department of Primary Industries Varroa surveillance teams in the Hunter Valley & Coffs Harbour area. They have been effective & robust, having done many thousands of alcohol washes.

The current situation with Varroa destructor in NSW.

Varroa destructor was identified at the port of Newcastle on June 22, 2022, and it was found to be widespread in the Upper Hunter Valley. Varroa has also been found at two outlying sites near Narrabri & Coffs Harbour.

While the current incursions are thought to be contained, beekeepers must remain vigilant & check for the presence of Varroa mites regularly.

Detection methods for Varroa Destructor

There are three main methods for detecting Varroa destructor in honeybee hives.

Sugar Shake

Bees are collected from the hive & rolled in caster sugar. This causes the mites to detach from the bees so they can be seen with the naked eye.

Drone Uncapping

A significant part of the Varroa destructor life cycle occurs in the honeybee brood. Varroa mites prefer drone brood as there is more space in the cell & the brood stage is the longest of the three castes of bees at 24 days.

A drone uncapping fork is used to remove drone larvae & pupae from the cells where they can be examined for the presence of Varroa mites.

My drone uncapping fork was supplied by Amateur Beekeepers Australia, who has been fantastic advocates for beekeepers during the current Varroa destructor incursion in New South Wales.

How to do a mite wash with a Varroa Alcohol Wash Bottle.

Alcohol washing is the current preferred method for detecting Varroa mites in NSW.

Mites are dislodged from the dead bees and can be seen with the naked eye in the alcohol.

Alcohol washing will remove 70% to 80% of external mites in infested honeybees.

Alcohol Washing Procedure using a Varroa Alcohol Wash Bottle.

Place about 100 ml of methylated spirits in the Varroa Alcohol Wash Bottle.
Light a beekeeper’s smoker & don appropriate protective clothing.
Smoke the beehive.
Open the brood box of the beehive & locate the queen.
Confine the queen in a queen cage or put the frame she is on outside the hive.
Shake bees from a brood frame into a plastic tub. You must collect nurse bees rather than field bees.
Gently tap the bees into the corner of the tub, then tip about 300 (1/2 a cup) of bees into the methylated spirits in the Varroa Alcohol Wash Bottle.
Screw the jar back onto the wash bottle & shake vigorously for four minutes.
After four minutes of shaking, invert the Varroa Alcohol Wash Bottle so that the dead bees are held in the top & the methylated spirits and detached mites drain to the bottom jar.
Raise the bottom of the jar to see any mites dislodged from the bees.

What should I do If I find Varroa destructor mites?

Beekeepers who suspect that they have found Varroa destructor mites in their beehives must ring the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline to report your detection on 1800 084 881 (9 am to 5 pm, seven days a week).

I have more than one beehive. How many hives do I need to alcohol wash, and how often?

Beekeepers in NSW must do at least one alcohol wash every 16 weeks regardless of whether they move.

The ratio of washing hives has not changed. The following applies to an operation:-

Where less than 65 hives are owned, all hives must be washed.
64 hives up to 640 hives owned – washing of 64 hives.
640 hives or more owned – 10% of hives washed. have more than one beehive. How many hives do I need to alcohol wash, and how often?

How do I report the results of my alcohol wash?

Alcohol wash results can be reported on the NSW Department of Primary Industries website. Report Your Varroa Alcohol Wash Results.

More Information about the Varroa destructor incursion in NSW.

You can learn more about the current Varroa mite incursion at the NSW Department of Primary Industries website.

How do I find out more about Varroa destructor mites?

The Beeaware website is a reliable source of information about Varroa destructor.

About the Author

The owner of Mt. Coramba Apiculture, Glenn Locke, has had the beekeeping urge since the early 1980s as a 14-year-old teenager.

The Warwick (QLD) high school agriculture department had a few beehives, and beekeeping was taught as a subject. Glenn’s agriculture teacher Jim Caird let him have a nucleus hive, and the addiction started.

The move to the mid-north coast of NSW and particularly the beautiful Orara Valley, means that Glenn now has the space to commence beekeeping again. Glenn has managed beehives in the Orara Valley since 2009.

We supply high-quality local, raw honey.

Purchase our Varroa Alcohol Wash Bottles here.

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