News Release

New device to kill varroa mites invented by MSU entomologist

Michigan State University and the Department of Entomology are pleased to
announce a new invention to combat a dreaded honey bee pest.  The Varroa
mite, Varroa destructor (formerly Varroa jacobsoni) is a serious pest of
honey bees in Michigan and worldwide.  Honey bees play a crucial role in
agriculture, pollinating many fruits and vegetables and seed crops valued at
about $15 billion per year in the US.  Varroa mites kill bee colonies within
1-2 years if colonies are left untreated.

Various chemicals have been used to control the mites, but unfortunately
chemicals can potentially cause harm to bees and could also get into honey
if not used carefully.  The mite pest can also develop resistance to
chemicals.  Apistan‚ the main pesticide used against the mite, lost its
effectiveness in many states within the past few years because of resistance
developed in mites.  In addition to the losses to commercial beekeepers,
almost all of our wild honey bee colonies have been killed, eliminating
their valuable contributions to pollination of crops important to Michigan,
including apples, cherries, blueberries and pickling cucumbers.

Varroa mites are attracted to drone larval cells and lay their eggs in these
cells.  Once honey bee workers seal the immature drone brood cells, mites
suck blood from the drone larvae and reproduce in a safe environment where
few chemicals can penetrate to reach the mites.  The so-called "drone
trapping comb" method entails removing the sealed drone brood combs and
putting them into a freezer to kill the mites, together with the drone
larvae, which are not important to the colony anyway.  This method requires
no chemicals and has been used extensively by small beekeepers in Europe but
the method is very labor-intensive; it is not practical for beekeepers with
more than a few dozen colonies, and few beekeepers in the US use it.

Dr. Zachary Huang invented the new device and has named it "the Spartan
Mitezapper".  According to Dr. Huang the invention will be a great tool in
helping beekeepers control the mites.

Dr. Huang's Mitezapper is composed of electrical resistance elements
implanted in the drone combs.  Beekeepers simply need to hook up the two
electrical terminals located outside the hive to a 12 volt battery for 2-3
minutes. The electrical resistant elements in the comb heat and kill both
the mites and the drone pupae.  It is even possible to regulate the
temperature to kill mites only and not to harm the drone larvae, if drone
production is desired.  A patent application has been filed by Michigan
State University.

Dr. Huang only started to study Varroa mite recently. Dr. Huang's
mite-related research has been supported by the GREEEN program at MSU,
Michigan Agricultural Experimental Station,Michigan Department of
Agriculture, and US Department of Agriculture.

More information is available at: http://www.mitezapper.com