Bee Sauna - From Germany

[simoncav]

Every now and again I do a Google search to find any new developments on Varroa treatments.

Germany takes beekeeping seriously and there is a lot of interesting research coming through including something called the Bienen Sauna (Bee Sauna) http://www.bienensauna.de/ (in German, but Google Translate works well enough) - It's a heating device that warms the entire colony up to 39C for two hours, twice a year. It claims that at that temperature, the mites start to die off in large numbers whereas the bees can tolerate up to 45C.

At first glance it kinda makes sense, but I wonder if anyone knows more about this project. Looks like they are starting trials this summer...

 

[Torq]

1300m euro and you will most likely need a portable generator or a very very very long power lead to run it.

Wonder how the eggs and larvae tolerate the extra few degrees?

 

[dexter's shed]

will that make the hives become the new honey flow, honey on tap system

 

[wessexmario]

I wonder if this is a secondary effect of OA vapourisation? the warm air from vapourising at 157C assisting with making things uncomfortable for the mites.


ps. would be easy to find out by putting a vapouriser in a hive without OA and checking if it results in a mite drop.

 

[wessexmario]

1300m euro and you will most likely need a portable generator or a very very very long power lead to run it.

There is a battery version.

 

[Finman]

.

The Varroa controller exposes the varroa mites and the bee larvae to a specific temperature which kills the mite without harming the bee larvae. When reaching the specific treatment temperature, the vital protein synthesis process of the Varroa mite is damaged.

The first series of the Varroa-Controller has been sold in Europe since June 2011.

 

[wessexmario]

here's their website: http://www.varroa-controller.com/vc

 

[Finman]

.
Innovative Solution for Varroa Mite: Sauna for the Bees

January 2015

Looking for sponsors

The costs for development are app. 120.000 €, so they decide to find sponsors. Till now they raised 64.166 € on the crowdfund platform www.ecocrowd.de.


Fund, 64 400, (Abgeschlossen)

 

[maddydog]

Maybe those people who stuck 10 mill into the flow hive will crowd fund this when their bees die because of varroa?

 

[Finman]

Maybe those people who stuck 10 mill into the flow hive will crowd fund this when their bees die because of varroa?

it has been used huge amount of money to develope good ways to treat varroa. It is different thing, do beekeepers mind about treatment methods.

 

[maddydog]

it has been used huge amount of money to develope good ways to treat varroa. It is different thing, do beekeepers mind about treatment methods.

I'm thinking that the sort of people who would want a flow hive probably can't be bothered to open the hive up to apply oxalic, formic, thymol etc. Much better to flick a switch twice a year!

 

[dexter's shed]

Maybe those people who stuck 10 mill into the flow hive will crowd fund this when their bees die because of varroa?

why should it be any different between a flow hive (langstroth) and any other hive,

 

[maddydog]

why should it be any different between a flow hive (langstroth) and any other hive,

I don't think varroa have a preference. I'm not commenting on the hive type, just the crowd-funding aspect.