1. Practical Varroa Resistance
Selection for Beekeepers
John Kefuss
Le Rucher D’Oc Toulouse France
Pacific Queens Limache Chile
Jacques Vanpoucke
Université Paul Sabatier
Toulouse France
Maria Bolt
Le Rucher Bolt Le Pushin France
Cyril Kefuss
Le Rucher D’Oc Toulouse France

2. Selection results
“A modest proposal”
History

3. Chemical treatments tests
on our bees in Toulouse
J. Ducos de LahitteJ. Ducos de LahitteJ. Ducos de LahitteJ. Ducos de Lahitte ÉÉÉÉcole Nationale Vcole Nationale Vcole Nationale Vcole Nationale Vééééttttéééérinaire de Toulouserinaire de Toulouserinaire de Toulouserinaire de Toulouse
W. RitterW. RitterW. RitterW. Ritter Tierhygienisches Institut, Freiburg Br. DeutschlandTierhygienisches Institut, Freiburg Br. DeutschlandTierhygienisches Institut, Freiburg Br. DeutschlandTierhygienisches Institut, Freiburg Br. Deutschland
1983-1984 Folbex (Bromopropylate)
1983-1984 Apitol (cymiazole hydrochloride)
1985 Perizin (coumaphos) test for AMM
1986 Amitraz (triazapentadiene)
1986-1987 Comparaison Perizin- Amitraz
1988-1989 Apistan (tau-fluvalinate) tests for AMM
1991 Bayvarol (fluméthrine)

4. Survival tests in Toulouse
and Unije (Croatia)
•1993-1993 Uruguayan Bees (Oberursel, Olsztyn, Toulouse)
•1993-2004 Tunisian Bees (Freiburg, Toulouse)
•1993-2009 European Bees (Toulouse)
•1999-2005 International survival test ( Unije)
… and because of Red tape (Schengen Agreement)
•2001 Legal importation of USDA Russian
Primorsky queens to Toulouse with
transshipment to Germany for survival testing

5. SURVIVAL - SELECTION
TESTS
Bond Test (BT)
Live and let die
1998, Bremen
Bond Accelerated Test (BAT)
Survive or die now
2003, Ljubljana

6. RECEPTIVITY :
ABILITY TO PERMIT THE PRESENCE
OF A PARASITE AND ITS NORMAL
LIFE CYCLE DEVELOPMENT
RESISTANT BEES ARE NOT RECEPTIVE TO VARROA

7. SENSIBILITY :
ABILITY TO EXHIBIT THE SYMPTOMS
OF A PARASITIC INFESTATION
A TOLERANT ANIMAL IS PARASITIZED BUT NOT HINDERED

8. Hygienic bees

9. Hygienic
behavior
selection
2002
N = 29
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
24 h
48 h%Źremoval
2009
N = 24
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
24 h
48 h%Źremoval
2008
N=5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
48 h
24 h
%Źremoval
4
August
May June

10. Our Varroa Situation inOur Varroa Situation inOur Varroa Situation inOur Varroa Situation in
2001 and 20022001 and 20022001 and 20022001 and 2002
May 2001
N = 64
August 2002
N = 29
20
15
10
5
0
Varroa / 100 adult Bees

11. Varroa /100cells capped brood
May 2001
N = 64
August 2002
N = 29
60
40
20
0
60
40
20
0
adults immaturesdaughters

12. 2/3 of the hives died out
1/3 survived
Bond Test Results

13. Our Varroa situation atOur Varroa situation atOur Varroa situation atOur Varroa situation at
the present timethe present timethe present timethe present time
May 2008
N = 54
June 2009
N = 25
20
15
10
5
0
Varroa / 100 adult Bees

14. Varroa on
adult bees
2001
N = 64
2002
N = 29
2008
N = 54
2009
N = 25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
Varroa / 100 adult Bees

15. Varroa in brood 2008-2009
60
40
20
0
60
40
20
0
May 2008
N = 54
June 2009
N = 25
Varroa /100cells capped brood
adults immaturesdaughters

16. • Losses are about the same as or less
than beekeepers that treat (15%)
• Hygienic behavior is correct
• Evolving towards resistance
At present time
Colonies tolerant
with very low receptivity to varroa
Chemical treatments not justified

17. Why
have most beekeepers
not
adopted the Bond Test?

18. Problems with
Bond & Bat tests
Bond Test
Hive losses on a regular basis
until tolerance - resistance appears
Bat Test
Too fast to permit selection for
long term mechanisms of resistance

19. Biggest problem for
beekeepers

20. Find a technic acceptable
to beekeepers
•Simple
•Cheap
•Few Risks!
But above all
“ Emotionally comforting ”

21. Soft Bond Test selection
Challenge selection :
Production tests 500 hives (example)
Hygienic tests 100 hives
Varroa counts 40 hives
Bond Test 20 hives
(Vary amounts if less or more hives)
(SBT)
Do expensive and time consuming
testing on a limited amount of hives

22. After the varroa count
But
before the Bond Test …
Very importantVery important

23. … spread out
1. Rear daughters and re-queen a maximum
number of hives
2. Utilize as many different breeder lines as
possible to minimize inbreeding
3. Put daughters in all bee yards to produce
selected drones for future matings
4. Exchange genetic material with other
beekeepers in case you loose a breeder line.
your breeding material

24. … then
GRAFTGRAFTGRAFTGRAFT from thefrom thefrom thefrom the ““““ Bond TestBond TestBond TestBond Test ”””” queensqueensqueensqueens
with lowest amount of varroawith lowest amount of varroawith lowest amount of varroawith lowest amount of varroa
MONITORMONITORMONITORMONITOR varroa levels in brood before treatingvarroa levels in brood before treatingvarroa levels in brood before treatingvarroa levels in brood before treating
hives not inhives not inhives not inhives not in ““““Bond TestBond TestBond TestBond Test””””
STOPSTOPSTOPSTOP chemical treatments when broodchemical treatments when broodchemical treatments when broodchemical treatments when brood
varroa infestations are less than 5%varroa infestations are less than 5%varroa infestations are less than 5%varroa infestations are less than 5%
Run the Bond Test
Repeat Soft Bond TestRepeat Soft Bond Test
from time to timefrom time to time

25. Advantages of
Soft Bond Test
1. Natural mating
2. No special equipment needed
3. Increased economic performance
4. Hygienic behavior increases resistance to
brood diseases
5. Limited losses
6. Save time and money spent on treatments
7. Comforting because few risks

26. Thumbs up
“The only thing you have
to fear is fear itself.”

27. World Varroa Challenge
Le Balestier
31340 Le Born France
(42 km north of Toulouse)
1 cent for every varroa you find from our hives
Rucher D’Oc
Longitude 1.546111 E
Latitude 43.866112 N
Tel: 05 61 57 87 15
Port: 06 71 67 05 53
Jkefussbees@wanadoo.fr