The Varroa mite is the greatest threat to honeybees and to beekeeping today. The terrible Varroa Jacobsoni mites have been artificially brought to most countries in the world from Indonesia and are devastating our beehives. Varroa mites eat away at bees, reproduce in the larvae, and can kill a bee colony within a few months. There is no easy remedy to Varroa. Organic treatements exist but are quite traumatic to the bee colony.
The TIT3 is an Varroa mite trap that acts as an indicator. It was invented by Italian beekeeper Michele Campero some years ago. Michele Campero was (hopefully still is) a very observant beekeeper with a very profound understanding of the bee colony's necessities and natural cycle.
TIT3 stands for "Telaino Indicatore Trappola a 3 finestre" which translates to "Indicator Trap Comb with 3 windows". (See photo)
The TIT3 as a varroa trap
As a trap, it takes advantage of the fact that Varroa prefer drone brood (male bee larvae) for reproduction (and in fact their reproduction is far more successful in drone brood, meaning that most of the baby varroa die in worker brood). Contrary to what many beekeepers think, it is not enough to have some drone brood on your combs, but it is necessary to create a rotation system for drone brood. Drone brood is receptive to Varroa mites only in the last few days before being capped. In the photo above the central comb is 1 week old, the comb on the left is 2 weeks old (and is currently receptive), and the comb on the right is 3 weeks old, and is trapping the varroa mites.
Since the queen will only lay some drone brood every day you get a natural rotation system in a drone brood comb. However drone brood lasts 23 days, and is capped on the 9th day, therefore you need to have 2-3 cycles of drone brood laying to create a system where there is always some brood in a receptive stage. Hence the 3 windows. In the photo above you can see the 2-week old comb has some larvae that are about to bee capped. These are the receptive ones at this time.
Every week the beekeeper will remove the comb that is 3 weeks old (before the drones are born) and destroy it, killing the varroa with it. In the photo below the comb on the left is 1 week old and will soon become receptive. The comb on the right is 2 weeks old and is currently receptive since some drone cells have been capped and others are being capped in these days. The central comb is completely capped and therefore should be removed. Note that some cells are empty. This is usually because the bees have removed dead or dying larvae (killed by the varroa).
Note that this is not a complete Varroa treatement. You will still have to treat your hive at the end of the honey season. However this system means that lower infestation levels, lower risk of catching other diseases as a result of varroa injuries to the bees, and that you can postpone the main treatment until after the hot season (which is important if using evaporant treatement such as esential oils or formic acid).
The TIT3 as an indicator
As an indicator, it takes advantage of the fact that, since the bees will continue need to build a comb, as the beekeeper removes one window every week, the beekeeper can monitor what kind of comb is being built.
As an indicator, it takes advantage of the fact that, since the bees will continue need to build a comb, as the beekeeper removes one window every week, the beekeeper can monitor what kind of comb is being built.
- If the bees build a drone comb, then the hive is in pre-swarming state.This is normal.
- If the bees do not build a comb, then the hive is about to swarm (or is ill). EMERGENCY!
- If the bees build a worker comb, then the hive has given up on swarming this season and the TIT3 can be removed.
- Often the bees will build a swarm cell in the new window. Often however they won't. They will prefer that old black comb that has been in the hive from many years, so unfortunately you cannot count on that.
Cleaner combs, and drone control too!
Another advantage of this system is that the drone brood is built on these combs and is not built in the corners and the sides of the worker combs. This keeps the worker combs much cleaner and of the proper width. Also you will have far fewer drones with this system. You can raise drones from your selected beehives seperately to mate with your queens.
Another advantage of this system is that the drone brood is built on these combs and is not built in the corners and the sides of the worker combs. This keeps the worker combs much cleaner and of the proper width. Also you will have far fewer drones with this system. You can raise drones from your selected beehives seperately to mate with your queens.
When and where to put it.
The TIT3 should be introduced into the hive 6 weeks before swarm period and removed when the bees stop building drone brood. It should be placed to one side of the brood, before the first comb of honey. There is no need to use it in swarms since they do not lay much drone brood (in theory). It can be removed at the end of the swarm season, when the bees build worker brood instead of drone brood.
Disadvantages
Since starting using this system I have never given it up. It does have some disadvantages though. You need to visit your bees every week to cut the comb. Otherwise you end up raising drones and varroa. Another disadvantage is that all the wax building costs some honey. However I assure you that the end result is well worth it.
Contact
For more tips on beekeeping, and on lots of other things, follow me on twitter: twitter.com/GeoMmm
George Mu'ammar
Note: This blog was originally posted here
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