Hey Bee Lovers! 🌼 Ever heard of a Varroa Blaster? It’s a nifty, budget-friendly device designed for sugar dusting beehives,

offering a natural approach to treating those pesky varroa mites. Let’s dive into the sweet details!

The Buzz on Sugar Dusting

Sugar dusting involves applying powdered sugar to beehives, a method that’s both effective and non-contaminating. Here’s why it’s the bee’s knees:

Advantages

• Non-contaminating: No harmful substances involved!
• Ideal for Top Bar or Organic Hives: Embraces a natural treatment approach.
• Bees and Brood Friendly: Doesn’t harm our buzzing buddies.
• Cost-effective: A budget-friendly solution.
• Environmentally Benign: Eco-friendly and safe.
• Safe and Easily Stored: No complicated storage requirements.
• Readily Available: Easily accessible for all beekeepers.
• Kills Mites Without Stunning: A gentle yet effective method.
• Applies During a Honey Flow: Compatible with hive activities.

Disadvantages

• Labor Intensive: Requires some elbow grease.
• Very Invasive: Hives need to be opened.
• Proper Timing is Essential: Timing is crucial for effectiveness.
• Can’t Treat Clustered Bees: Works best when bees are spread out.

DIY Varroa Blaster

Ready to build your own Varroa Blaster? It’s as easy as a stroll through a field of flowers!

Materials

-Grab a salsa bottle and nylon stocking cloth.

You’ll need:

• A small drill bit or a frame nail.
• An empty plastic juice, soda, or salsa bottle.
• Some nylon stocking material large enough to cover the bottle’s mouth and overlap the screw-on cap’s threads.

Instructions

• Remove the plastic lid.
• Drill small holes in it or melt them using a heated frame nail.
• Fill the bottle 1/3 full with confectioners sugar.
• Place the nylon material over the bottle’s mouth.
• Screw the lid on, securing the nylon material in place.

-Behold the Varroa Blaster lid!

-Your Varroa Blaster, ready to roll!

Operation

The Blaster

Create a fine, smoke-like puff by squeezing the Varroa Blaster:

• Shake the blaster.
• Rotate it horizontally.
• Squeeze it vigorously.

Sugar smoke should come out, not globs. If you get globs, tip it up and try again. Adjustments may be needed if globs persist.

When the nylon material gets plugged, blasting takes more effort. Simply tip the blaster upright, rap it on something solid to knock sugar clumps free, occasionally remove and work out the clumps, then replace it.

Treating the Hive

Dust the hive from top to bottom:

• Remove the lid and two frames from one side.
• Set them aside.
• Blast the exposed comb surfaces inside the hive.
• Slide a frame over and blast the untreated comb surfaces.
• Bees are lightly dusted and look like albino bees, not walking sugar globs.
• Repeat until all frames are blasted.

Hold the two frames removed over the hive, dust them, and if the queen falls off, she falls back into the hive. Return those frames to the far side of the super.

Once a super is dusted:

• Set it aside.
• Repeat the process for the boxes below.

When all are dusted, set the hive together using smoke. Smoking the hive is essential for a uniform treatment. Smoke each super after it’s back on the hive, making sure the bees run from the smoke. Once the hive is together, vigorously smoke the entrance.

Timing Considerations

Proper timing is key. The most effective treatment occurs when most mites are phoretic, and most bees are in the hive. Multiple treatments are timed to catch emerging mites before they are sealed up with the brood.

Observations

-Smoking them up!

I’ve monitored the mite load to determine the blaster’s effectiveness. The results were bee-rilliant! Sugar dusting is most effective when done under specific conditions, ensuring a successful and consistent treatment.

Update - Blaster Retired

While the Varroa Blaster proved effective, I’ve retired it since my small cell hives tolerated mites and thrived without treatments. However, for those needing treatment, I recommend dribbling oxalic acid, a less disruptive and labor-intensive alternative.

Happy Beekeeping! ✨ -Cheers, D 🐝🤠