The Honey Bee Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for Varroa — Sounds Clear… But Is It?

On paper, IPM looks like a well-designed system.

In practice, it often asks brand-new and struggling beekeepers to understand and juggle toxicology, chemistry, brood dynamics, resistance management, temperature limits, honey contamination rules, and product labels — all while simply trying to keep their first colony alive.

What they often hear sounds something like this:

Rotate products.  Don't overuse.  
Don’t leave 1% mites — resistance may develop — yet 1% is considered acceptable.
Don’t treat in high heat as it is likely to kill your  queen but might kill her anyway
Don’t treat with supers on (with some products but not others).
Follow labels carefully — even when labels may lag behind current field observations.
Avoid resistance.
Use brood breaks.
Don’t harm queens.   

For experienced beekeepers, these guard rails are navigable. Over time, they have learned the language, adapted their methods, and developed priorities based on years of observation.

For beginners, however, this can feel like stepping into a dense forest without a map.

When established beekeepers offer differing advice — even when all are well-intentioned — it can be difficult for newcomers to know which path to follow. What feels like healthy debate among veterans can feel overwhelming to someone holding their very first colony.

Varroa has changed the starting line of beekeeping. What was once challenging is now biologically unforgiving.

One structured approach available to new beekeepers is the Varroa Management Decision Tool developed by the Honey Bee Health Coalition:
honeybeehealthcoalition.org/varroatool/.

It is one of the most organized resources available and walks users through treatment choices using current product labels. It provides structure in what can otherwise feel like uncertainty.

At the same time, the tool necessarily reflects what is legally written on product labels. Labels can take years to update, and emerging field observations — such as shifts in resistance patterns or discussions around residue accumulation — may not always be fully reflected. This creates an ongoing tension between regulatory language and evolving biological understanding.

None of this is malicious. It is simply the reality of managing a parasite in a living system while regulations, research, communications product development and field experience move at different speeds and under in different countries with different laws and standards.

At HoneyBee Lane Bees, when selling nucs, we listened carefully to new beekeepers. They consistently told us the same thing:

They want their bees to survive while they learn the art and science of beekeeping.

As simple as it sounds, that is their priority.

So we made a decision about ours.

When supporting new beekeepers with Varroa management in their first year, we place one principle above all others:

Colony survival.

Based on the well-known Varroa population development work of Randy Oliver, we provide one clear, structured strategy for the first year. It is not presented as perfect. It acknowledges manageable risk. But it is consistent, understandable, legally compliant, and focused on helping colonies successfully reach spring.

One timetable.
One product.
One legal method of delivery.

Our new beekeepers' colonies consistently make it through the winter.

From there, beekeepers have the breathing room to expand their knowledge, refine their methods, and build their own informed priorities.

Because the real question is simple:

If you were holding your very first colony…
What would your priority be?

At HoneyBee Lane Bees we work within the honey bee industry, but our heart remain with the people just starting out — the new beekeepers who are doing their very best in an era where Varroa has made success far less forgiving than it once was.

Our goal is not to reject Integrated Pest Management. IPM remains the long-term framework.

Our goal is to make the starting line survivable.

Healthy, thriving honey bees.
Confident new beekeepers.
Clear first-year structure.

From that foundation, beekeepers are equipped to make their own risk assessment and are able to implement their own  Integrated Pest Management.  They better understand Varroa.  They  know the importance of thoroughly researching every single detail of the products or methods they wish to use, their effective timing and any necessary delivery methods.   Because without those successful new beekeepers, there is little hope for the future of the honey bee — and the food systems that we all rely upon and enjoy. 

As a woman entrepreneur, I’m driven to help new beekeepers keep their bees alive and thriving. HoneyBee Lane Bees strengthens food security, pollinator health, and community education in the Cowichan Valley—turning confusion into confidence, and protecting both bees and beginners".

 We are building an Archive Page to help new beekeepers.    Europeans have had Varroa Destructor mites for 20 years longer than North America.  We have tested some of their management protocols and they work for us and our customers!  We have lost only 2 colonies in the last 4 winters.  We are hoping to present those ideas soon.  Janette Chudleigh February 25, 2025 Age 76 - Founder of HoneyBee Lane Bees - Beekeeper.