Beekeeping & varroa mite and other diseases in Croatia

Beekeeping & varroa mite and other diseases in Croatia

Zlatko Tomljanović[email protected]

FinlandArea: approx. 338.400 km²Population: 5,4 mill

CroatiaArea: approx. 56.500 km2

Population: 4,3 mill

..some figures about Croatian beekeeping…

Croatia 2005 2008 2011 2014 2016

No hives 291.400 303.700 374.800 452.000 554.000

No hives/km2 5.1 5.3 6.6 7.9 9.7

No beekeepers 5.500 6.200 7.500 11.500 13.200

Yield (t) 6.300 5.770 5.600 9.500 5.200

Croatia LR AŽ DB

Types of hives % 64 35 1

Croatia Stationary Migratory

Types of apiaries % 63 37

Croatia 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016

AFB outbreaks 29 130 162 101 589 674

Current beekeeping situation in Croatia & region

• the number of beekeepers in Croatia increased by 1/2 since 2010• ecological and economic reasons for increase• many beginners without any practical and theoretical knowledge• large amount of mistakes in beekeeping management and honey

bee health

Acacia

Problems with inexperienced beekeepers

• spreading of honey bee diseases• lack of nutrition during the drought• hive robbing behaviours• ignoring the general guidelines of GVBP• „young” beekeepers who think they know everything about

bees

Amorpha

Beekeeping school

• based on program approved by the Ministry of Science and Education

• local government joined the project (reimbursement)• lasts three months (thirty hours of theoretical lessons and

ninety hours of practical works )• only condition for enrolment into beekeeping school is

completed elementary school

Chestnut tree

Workshops/Practical works/Demonstrations in apiary

Enter the apiary / Opening the hives

Examination of colonies / Evaluations of colony strenght

/period of season, geografical position, productivity/

Sampling / Diagnosis /Control /Prophylaxis of honey bee diseases

After finishing the course, students should be able to:

1. Understand and explain basics of honey bee biology

2. Recognize most common management systems and explain their benefits and drawbacks

3. Assess general health of honey bee colonies

4. Put beekeeping products on a market, thereby respecting the local regulations

Savory

Export the ideas of beekeeping schools in Cambodia, Bosnia and Herzegovina…..

Our expectations…

• transferring the know-how technology to the beekeepers • fewer problems in apiaries concerning beekeeping

management and honey bee health than before• setting the modern beekeeping in the centre of rural and

sustainable development• the beekeepers will be ready to take care for nature and earn

spare money at the same time

Linden

Honey and products market

Prices

Honey:• Wholesale 3 – 6 €/kg• Retail 4- 10 € /kg

Propolis:• Crude 65 €/kg• Solution 3 € / 20ml

Polen • 13 € / kg

Royal jelly• Wholesale – no exist• Retail 20 € / 10 ml

Beekeeper organizations

Croatian Beekeepers Federations• since 1954• currently - 8.000 members• member fee 30€/ year• 12 issues of Bee Journal „Hrvatska pčela”

145 Local beekeeping associations• member fee 15 – 20 €

Croatian queen breeders association• currently 41 members• 2016 production 35.000 queens

since 1881

Bosnia and Herzegovina

SerbiaSlovenia

Hungary

Montenegro

Italy

Three microclimates

North - Pannonian

Middle - HighlandsSouth - AdriaticThree different types of: weather conditions overwintering spring developments plants & honey flow

Honey & polen plants

CanolaAcacia

Amorpha ChestnutLinden

SunflowerGoldenrod

Wild flowersHeatherSavory

Honeydew

RosemarySage

Lavender

beekeepers

Types of mobile apiaries

Trailer – hard work102 AŽ hives

Container – a big compromise44 LR hives

AŽ hive

Tipically for Slovenia/northern Croatia and Serbia

Types of mobile apiaries

Lifters Pallets

Beekeeping today - challenges

• Global trade of honey bee products

• Global trade od bees

• Global exchange of pests and pathogens

• Global problems of colony losess

• Pesticides/GMO/climate changes/landscape destruction

• Good & bad beekeeping practice

Sunflower

What bothered us in Croatia in 2016?

• weird weather ( rain /frost)• heavy rain and cold during the honey flow• starvation / suspected on poisoning• swarming problems• varroa fitness• sealed honey – high humidity of honey• birds in southern part / Bee - eater

Merops apiasterOverall impression about 2016 ?Better to forget ASAPBut it will be better in 2017 ! – immortal claim

First impression?Vaaauuuuuuuu…great

New South Wales, Australia 1993.

Something is wrong here ! Second impression?Where was the beekeeper?

Spring development / Swarming

• Queen excluder - YES• Queen excluder - NO • Supering

• Demaree method• Rotation system I• Rotation system II

Swarm control

Sometimes is necessary to adopt new approach in swarm control

…much better position…

Swarm in the vineyard

QE

BC

SF

S

BC – brood chamberQE – queen excluderSF – shallow frames S - super

broodhoney

Rotation system I

Cluster

Spring development

Active season

End of the seasonRotation

Begining of the winter

Early springRotation

1

Attention!1. Never extract honey from SF

2

2. Add sugar solution if no honey flow before main pasture

Graphics originally by O.Boecking

♀

+

+ + +

If queen cells (QC) appear….

1. Have time - make splits with QC (remove) + leave the queen with 1 brood frame on the same spot

2. No time – check for QC/leave the 1 frame with QC + remove the mother colony

1.

2.

+

productive colony

XxXxXxXxXxXx

XxXxXxXxXxXx

swarming – splits – honey - queens – varroa ?

split new colony

oxal/lactic acid

+- = 0

Rotation system II

Originally by O.Boecking

Croatia 2012/2013 2013/2014 2014/2015

Colony losses%

9,5 7,7 9,8

Colony losses in Croatia

Causes:• varroa• AFB• pesticides - intoxication• lack of polen supplies• malnutrition / starvation• bad beekeeping practice

Varroa + xyz

„...in August and September my bees were great – lots of bees and honey, but in October/November I don’t have anymore bees. I’ve just found few bees on a bottom bord and frames full of honey…and I did varroa treatment…do you have any idea where did they go? Anybody seen my bees ?....”

August number of varroa in a hive >10 % (delaying / ineffective treatment)

September - October number of varroa in a hive around 20 %

October - November = cleansing flights ! the bees damaged by varroa can’t return / cluster is getting smaller varroa attack other bees in a hive / few more cleansing flights remain just few hundreds bees /can’t keep the warmth /leave the hive

The best time for varroa control ?

Winter control – (November – January)

Spring control – (April – June)

Summer control – (July – September)

.

Winter control 3.5 % Oxal acid

Broodless colonies - Trickling 5ml/ bee gapTemperature not below 5 C / One treatment

.

Spring control – no chemistryRemoving /cutting drone combs

Making splits – sealed brood / varroa control

Registered / legal medicaments in Croatia• Apiguard

• Apilife Var

• Bayvarol

• Check Mite+

• Thymovar

Summer varroa control

Varroa control program – issued by Veterinary administrationEvaluation of infestation level/control of medicaments

• Formic/Lactic/Oxal acid treatment

Foto:S.Spiewok

Upcoming authorisation ?

Hop Guard (hop beta-acids)MAQS (formic acid) Apivar strips

Ongoing applied researches

„Varroa treatment for 3rd millennium”(Italy) • caging the queen/ summer• broodless colony/ oxalic acid treatment

Completely removing of brood frames • after last honey harvest • 1 trapping brood frame remains/get

treated• creating new colony

The other diseases

AFB EFB Chalk brood

AFB

Healthy brood

Comparative diagnosis

AFB „ropy” conditiontreadlike projection longer > 2,5cm

AFB - the holes on the cappings

Healthy brod AFB• scattered brood pattern• punctured & sunken cappings

Comparative diagnosis

AFB - dried scalesHow to check correctly for dried scales?

X

OK

If AFB is confirmed…

X

• Restricted area must be established with radius of 3 km• All apiaries in protected zone must be examined• Health certificate is needed for migratory operations• All apiaries have to be registered

Great problem!Abandoned apiaries

AFB sanitation

Shook swarm method

• early stage of AFB• strong colony• regular occurrence in the area

Burning

• late stage of AFB/weak colony• first outbreak in new area• reimbursement of 90 €

Veterinary authorities order:

SHB outbreaksItaly 05.09.2014. (Calabria)

Protected area - 20 km radius

Monitoring area - 100 km radius

Italy - Sep 2015 – 6 more casesItaly - Aug 2016 – new outbreaks

Croatia 2017Active & pasive monitoring in 300 apiaries

Comparative diagnosis

3.2 – 5.6 mm © 2010

Torsten Bittner

5 – 7 mm

Chychramus luteus

Chychramus variegatus

Take home message

• Varroa/AFB/EFB control• Spring development/Swarm control• Queen exchanging• Preparing for winter• Change/adopt new approach of beekeeping

managment if it’s necessary• Always look on the bright side of….

Heather

Sage

Thank you for your attention

Kiitos huomiostasi

Pazin/Croatia Sep ‘16