Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is a serious problem studied by several researchers and scientists around the world. They agree that the current situation is “alarming”.
The Varroa Destructor, which arrived in Europe about 40 years ago, is one of the main causes of CCD.
The main issue is that Varroa’s reproductive cycle is much faster than bees’. The entire bee colony can be destroyed by Varroa in one single season, as shown in the graph below.
Moreover, during bees’ reproductive cycle, Varroa can transmit viruses horizontally, threatening their very survival.
To date, Varroa can only be killed with chemical remedies, which also harm bees and leave residues in beekeeping products. Varroa adapts quickly to the chemical remedies that should be used intensively and in combination with other products to achieve effectiveness.
On the other hand, thermotherapy is 100% effective, as certified by the University of Tubingen. After 7 years of research and applied testing in cooperation with the Universities of Perugia and Turin (Italy), with support from the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Bee Ethic has succeeded in achieving excellent scientific results.
Bee Ethic has exceeded expectations thanks to the valuable contributions of a team of engineers, researchers and bee-keepers. We found that, by keeping the population of Varroa below a certain level, bees improve honey production, enjoy better health and can constantly produce. Bee Ethic poses no risks of contaminating hive’s products with chemical acaricides, as shown in the chart below.
With automatic repetitive treatments throughout the season (at each brood cycle), bees are born Varroa-free and are therefore healthier! By removing the Varroa from the brood, we lower the risk of viruses being transmitted by the mite (DWV, ABV, IAPV, KBV CBPV etc.).
TURIN’S UNIVERSITY – DISAFA – 2016-2018
An authority in the sector, Professor Aulo Manino, said: “The Bee Ethic method was finally developed in Italy. It consists in heating the brood from within, killing Varroa in its reproductive phase, without damaging bees, thanks to a precise temperature regulation … ”
“To fight Varroa and viruses, we must ensure that Varroa do not increase in number throughout the season so that, at the end of the year, there are fewer Varroa mites than at the beginning”.
“With the recent developments in thermotherapy, Italy is now at the forefront in the fight against Varroa, offering bee-keepers an alternative method to those adopted so far to counter the disasters caused by the spread of this mite throughout the planet”.
Bee ethic is referred as a valid biotechnology against Varroa, supporting a more sustainable beekeeping approach.
The Bee Ethic system includes an electronic control unit that automatically carries out a monthly treatment, raising temperature to 42° C for 1.5 hours, eliminating about 80% of adult Varroa and almost the entirety of infant Varroa.
