Evaluation of early spring bio-technical management techniques to control varroosis in Apis mellifera

More than 30 years after the first infestation report on Apis mellifera, varroa mites are still damaging honey bee health. The present paper reports data from a field experiment concerning two early spring (late February) bio-technical management techniques: early brood interruption (through queen caging) and early trapping comb (through the use of a single trapping comb). The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of both techniques on colony development, mite population growth and honey production during the 6 months following the treatments. We observed that the early season queen handling and technical management of the colonies were able to affect mite reproduction resulting in a lower infestation rate, especially in the brood interruption group, while not causing any repercussion on the honey harvest and seasonal colony development and performance.