Varroa destructor in Botswana

Khaliso Phokedi, Principal Beekeeping Officer Ministry of Agriculture

The mite Varroa destructor is present in Botswana. Botswana was expecting to be invaded by Varroa mite after warnings from the University of Pretoria: South Africa has had Varroa for five years and it had been anticipated that it would enter Botswana, especially near the South African border along the Limpopo River.

The Botswana Beekeeping Section took 92 samples of bees from around the country and sent them to the University of Pretoria for analysis. Out of the 92 samples, 41 had mites while 36 were negative. The mite was detected in all bees except those from the West and North West regions of the country, i.e. areas near the border with Namibia and Zambia. More tests will be run for these two regions as some of the samples were too small to identify the mites.

A Workshop was held in October 2003 for Beekeeping Extension Officers and other stakeholders to equip them with skills to deal with Varroa mites in their colonies. The consultant was Dr Per Kryger from the University of Pretoria who also assisted in analysing the samples.

Objective

At the end of the Workshop, the participants were expected to:

~ Understand the origin, spread and effects of Varroa mite in honeybee colonies;

- Know the factors which are important for mite reproduction;

- Understand the management practices used to control itsspread;

- Identify symptoms of Varroa associated disease in their colonies;

- Be able to measure the infestation levels in their colonies;

- Understand and know how to treat bees using chemicals.

Information about the different chemicals used to control the mites and warnings of the side effects of such chemicals were provided. Participants were advised that mites develop resistance over time, and that the chemicals are strong and potent to human life if they are not used properly. It was resolved that we should not panic but learn to live with the mites.

Several recommendations were made including:

- Proper husbandry and close monitoring of colonies;

- Restrict the movement of colonies from one locality to another following flowering;

- Avoid interchanging combs and used bee equipment;

- Stop the importation of honeybees.