Our hives recently had a mite treatment – this combats the varroa mite, as it is the leading cause of colony loss.
The hives are treated with Formic Pro, a low-toxicity organic treatment. We found it to be reliably efficient and successful at reducing mite infestation.
Formic acid, the active ingredient in Formic Pro, is a naturally occurring substance; ants are known to produce it to protect themselves from predators. It’s also naturally present within honey bee colonies!
Varroa mites invade brood cells and feed on the developing larva, but formic acid has the ability to penetrate underneath the wax capping of these cells and kill the mites without harming the baby bees.
Preventative measures, like Formic Pro, increase the hive’s resilience; effective mite treatment is a cornerstone of responsible beekeeping.