The name says it all — varroa destructor. Experts say a single varroa mite attached to a single bee can destroy an entire hive of bees in two weeks. And now that the mite has managed to hitch a ride
The name says it all — varroa destructor. Experts say a single varroa mite attached to a single bee can destroy an entire hive of bees in two weeks.
And now that the mite has managed to hitch a ride to the Big Island and take up residence among some of the feral hives surrounding Hilo harbor, Kaua‘i beekeepers are on the offensive, meeting to discuss tactics that they, and the rest of Kaua‘i community, might take to keep the bloodsucking parasite far from Kaua‘i shores.
The mite was first discovered in Hawai‘i in April last year, and although steps were taken to help confine the pinhead-sized mite to the island of O‘ahu, those attempts failed. A Nov. 7 news release from the state Department of Agriculture says mites continue to be discovered on the bodies of feral (wild) bees in the area surrounding the Hilo International Airport.
The migration of the mites to the Big Island is an “absolute worst case situation,” not only because the Big island is the nation’s number one producer of organic honey, but because the queen bee breeding industry — which the varroa mite also threatens — is at least as important as the honey business, according to Kaua’i beekeeper Charles Danbury.
He said the Big Island — which provides millions of dollars worth of queen bees to the Mainland, Canada and elsewhere — has “some of the best genetically bred bees in the world.”
The problem is that once mites infest a swarm, it is difficult, if not impossible, to eradicate them. Not only do the mites sometimes elude detection, but they are notorious for building their tolerance against the pesticides currently allowed to control them.
The efforts taken so far to meet this tiny intruder head-on fall woefully short, according to beekeeper and insect expert Dr. Michael Kliks.
“The state needs to declare a statewide emergency,” he said in a phone interview.
Kliks, the assertive president of the Hawai’i Beekeepers’ Association, condemned the efforts of the Department of Agriculture, saying “we’ve had a plan in place for two years, but they have lacked the will to carry it out.”
He insisted that the only hope of wiping out the varroa lay in resolute action — specifically, wiping out mite-infested swarms with the BASF insecticide, fiprinil (commonly found in ant and cockroach baits, as well as topical flea treatments, like Frontline).
But according to Darcy Oishi, biological control section chief for the Department of Agriculture, fiprinil simply is not an option.
“Fiprinil isn’t labeled for use against bees,” he said. “Right now, we’re not allowed to use it. So we’re using the chemical Dursban.”
Dursban, an insecticide produced by Dow Agro, will have to do until the EPA approves fiprinil’s use for killing bees, he said.
“We would be a lot happier if we could use fiprinil,” he said.
To hear Kaua’i beekeeper Jimmy Torio tell it, the problem extends beyond restrictions on pesticide use.
“The Agriculture Department is talking to scientists, to other government agencies and a few beekeepers. But by and large, not enough is being done. There’s not enough dialogue and outreach to beekeepers,” he said.
Torio said given the choice, he would prefer the Department of Agriculture consult with all Hawai‘i beekeepers and empower beekeepers to play a more central role in any plan to control and/or eradicate the varroa.
Although the combined experience of Hawai‘i beekeepers represents a wealth of knowledge about bee health and behavior, he said the Department of Agriculture has yet to take advantage of it in its war against the varroa.
Both Danbury and Torio said they were disappointed to find so little sense of urgency in the government’s response to the varroa’s arrival. Local beekeeper Oliver Shagnasty agreed.
“If this was hoof and mouth disease, they’d have everybody here to solve the problem,” he said.
But they also agreed the mite’s worst enemy — aside, perhaps, from fiprinil — is the open communication and involvement of beekeepers in any effort to eradicate it. Like a swarm reacting to an intruding wasp, Kaua‘i’s beekeepers intend to move quickly, decisively, and with the orchestration of a communal effort.
Hopefully, that will be enough to make the varroa feel unwelcome on Kaua’i. Because once a singe varroa piggy-backs its way into the wild swarms of an island, it may be too late to do much about it.
Gus Rouse, president and owner of Kona Queen, gave a quick history of the varroa mite’s campaign to dominate the bee world.
“Everybody else has had this,” he said of varroa infestation, “except Australia. It makes raising bees a lot more difficult.”
Asked for his prognosis for the bees on the Big Island and his hopes for ridding the island of the mites, he said, “We have our fingers crossed that what the state’s doing might buy us some time, but we’re not optimistic.”
Torio will be hosting a meeting at his farm lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Dec. 13, 4444 Hokualele Road, so beekeepers and other interested parties can discuss strategies to keep the varroa mite off Kaua‘i. For more information, call Torio at 652-0921.
• Luke Shanahan, business writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or lshanahan@kauaipubco.com
