Important Updates for Honey Bee Health and Varroa Management Tool
October 28, 2026 The Honey Bee Health Coalition has announced an updated version of its Varroa Management Decision Tool, a free interactive resource that helps beekeepers identify Varroa mite control methods suited to their colonies’ needs. The updated tool reflects the shifting landscape of Varroa control and aims to allow beekeepers to spend less time sorting through labels and more time making informed decisions for healthier honey bee colonies.
Choosing a Varroa control method can be daunting. Finding the right approach takes time and careful research. The Varroa Management Decision Tool simplifies the process by doing the legwork for beekeepers. The Coalition reviewed product labels and distilled the key considerations into five simple questions.
• Question 1: After Sampling, do your Varroa mite levels exceed the treatment threshold?
• Question 2: Are you open to synthetic treatments or do you prefer a naturally-derived treatment?
• Question 3: Is brood present?
• Question 4: Do you have honey supers on?
• Question 5: Is your colony’s population increasing, at peak, decreasing, or dormant?
“Varroa mite control needs to change seasonally, just as our bee management changes with the seasons,” says Dewey Caron, Content and Communications Specialist for the Oregon Master Beekeeper Program at Oregon State University.
The updated Varroa Management Decision Tool is available for free. CLICK HERE to access the tool.