Applying Powdered Sugar to Knock Down Mite Levels

At the spring meeting of the NJBA, hosted by the South Jersey branch in Medford, Robert Harvey of Harvey's Honey demonstrates the technique of using powdered sugar to knock down the population of varroa mites in a hive.

This method works with hives that have screened bottom boards. Powdered sugar brushed through a screen to evenly distribute it causes the mites to be either knocked off or drop off their hosts. Once they fall through the screen in the bottom board, they cannot get back on the honey bees.

Varroa mites reproduce in the cells of the developing bees by puncturing the exo-skeleton and feeding on the hemolymph (blood) of the bees. At the same time, they are vectoring disease such as deformed wing virus (DWV).

(Photo by Janet A. Katz)