Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Sugar Dusting for Varroa Mite Control
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Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Prepared by Stephen Augustine and Paul Hosticka (WSBA) as a preliminary guide to get started in Western WA. May 21, 2002
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The IPM Decision Making Process:
IF pest suppression treatments are needed...
WHEN are they needed?
WHERE are they needed?
WHAT mix of control tactics could be used?
Elements of IPM:
The IPM philosophy strongly emphasizes common sense
IPM in practice: IF pest suppression treatments are needed, WHEN are they needed, WHERE are they needed, WHAT mix of control tactics could be used.
Prevention is much better than attempting a cure - help the bees help themselves.
Implement regular monitoring/sampling/testing to be able to make sound decisions
Use soft treatments when appropriate
Use hard chemicals when only absolutely necessary as indicated by monitoring/sampling/testing
Practice rotational use of chemicals to avoid pests developing resistance
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IPM uses a combination of strategies to manage pest populations. It is not always a biological control, although biological control is a useful tactic. IPM is not an organic program although it may integrate organic materials into the control tactic. Nor is IPM anti-pesticide but generally it attempts to reduce chemical dependency with a mix of control tactics. Control of mites in bee colonies needs to move from dependence on one or a few pesticide chemicals to a balanced IPM approach.
The success of an IPM program hinges on good monitoring. Early pest detection often allows for use of non-chemical controls. By monitoring, the exact location and size of the pest population can be determined. By analyzing data collected by monitoring, it should be possible to predict when a recurring pest might occur and then more efficiently manage that problem. Sampling/scouting is a key element in IPM. You should sample on a regular basis:
(a) to monitor pest population levels, (b) to determine when a pest is present, (c) the life stage(s) present, (d) how many are present (the population level).
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WSBA IPM Chart
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Varroa Mite Thresholds
These observations are subjective to individual hives, climactic conditions, race of bees, etc. and are by no means meant to be a definitive guide to threshold levels. Notice that we give very conservative estimates for what might be reasonable threshold levels when deciding whether to treat or not.