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WVC Vegas 2026 - Comments & Notes
A Key Driver of Honey Bee Colony Losses: Varroa Destructor
[Notes taken from presentation given by Dr. Amy Franklin at the WVC2026 Conference and Expo, February,2026]
First, let’s get the facts out: honeybees provide crucial environmental and health benefits, most notably pollinating nearly 85% of food crops, which is essential for global food security. Honey serves as a natural antioxidant, antibacterial agent, and immune booster.
Dr. Franklin, DMV, MS, gave a very intense, factual, and slide supported talk, but began with the bad news.
In January 2025 came the largest honeybee collapse in history. Almond pollination, as example, most impacted. Between June-Feb. 2025, average loss was 62%, or more than 1.7 million colonies wiped out. $600 million in losses.
What was worse, in a sense, the pesticides used at the time, were ineffective, and mutated, resulting in a virus of deformed wing strain. The cause of this agricultural and food source disaster: Varroa destructor, a barely visible mite. Its lethal migration is another example on how small our world is. In the 1900’s this parasite had gained a hold in Asian honeybees then globe jumped, and by 1987, the infestation hit the U.S., the first when transported to Florida, then to Wisconsin, and finally, everywhere.
Better than any horror movie, but worse that it was true, Dr. Franklin described in detail the nature of Varroa mite. From our capsulized notes, this tiny creature is totally dependent on honeybee females feeding off them and then will enter a honey cell and lay their eggs into the bee larvae. The mite can lay up to 25-30 times, with a quick dispersal among a colony within 1-2 weeks. The Varro life cycle allows it to paralyze the drone brood, and it is extremely successful in its ability to hide from its host. In total destruction the mite feeds off the fat body tissue of the honeybees. Just a few mites can destroy an entire bee colony.
The graphic slides even left our reporter squeamish.
But there is hope, exclaimed ‘bee whisperer’ Dr. Franklin.
First, of course, is the education of beekeepers, especially among the hobbyists who begin, without knowing.
The basics of treatment require doing a mite count requiring a wash (alcohol or sugar shake) that will flush off the mites, some bees are sadly killed in the process. Regular monitoring every 3-4 weeks is a must for colony management
If a colony is infested, then treatment must begin immediately, but the best time is at the end of summer before winter months. And there are new products on the market that can lessen if not end mite infestation though you might have to rotate treatments if mites develop resistance.
Consider products like Apivar (Amitraz) or Thymol (Apiguard/Api Life Var).
But to fight the Varroa Destructor contact your nearest Bee Veterinarian, like Dr. Franklin, or your local beekeeper’s association or the Honey Bee Veterinarian Consortium (HBVCmember@gmail.com)
About the speaker, Dr. Amy Franklin.
She deeply believes in protecting pollinator health to support ecosystems & agriculture sustainability. She received a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University in 2013 and is a member of the HBVC Board of Directors, Northern Colorado Beekeepers Association and the North American Coalition for Insect Agriculture. She has a Master Beekeeper Certification and has several hives of her own.
One of her personal causes: she is founder and CEO of Farms for Orphans (https://farmsforophans.org) founded in 2015 Farms for Orphans is committed to providing a sustainable food source for disadvantaged children that is highly nutritious and eco-conscious. Their initiatives empower communities and strive to address child poverty by supporting orphaned children globally. In 2028 she won an International Humanitarian Award from the United Nations Associations in regards to her work.
