Varroa Dashboard: Reading Infestation Curves and Taking Action

The Varroa mite is the greatest threat to honeybee colonies worldwide. Without treatment, no colony in Central Europe survives permanently. The key to successful Varroa management lies in monitoring: those who know the infestation level can treat precisely and in time -- not too early, not too late. The Varroa Dashboard in Hivekraft makes exactly that possible.

Documenting Treatments

Every Varroa treatment in Hivekraft is fully recorded. This is not only important for your own management but has been a legal requirement since 2022 as part of the colony record book.

Required Fields per EU 2019/6

The following information is recorded for every treatment:

• Date: Start and end of treatment
• Veterinary medicine: Which product (e.g., formic acid 60%, oxalic acid 3.5%, Bayvarol, Apivar)
• Dosage: Amount per colony or application method
• Batch number: The batch designation of the product used
• Supplier: Where the product was obtained
• Withdrawal period: Days until the next honey harvest (for prescription medicines)
• Treating person: Who performed the treatment
• Veterinarian and prescription number: For prescription medicines

Recording a Treatment Step by Step

1. Select colony

   Open the colony you want to treat, or navigate to the Treatments section in the sidebar. Click New Treatment.

2. Choose product and method

   Select the treatment product from the list. Hivekraft knows the common Varroa products and automatically fills in the typical withdrawal period. Enter the dosage and application method (e.g., sponge cloth, evaporator, trickle).

3. Add batch information

   Enter the batch number of the product (found on the packaging), the supplier, and if applicable, invoice number and prescription data. These details are required for the colony record book.

4. Document mite fall

   If you counted the natural mite fall before treatment (e.g., via sticky board or powdered sugar method), enter the value. The pre-treatment infestation value is the most important reference for treatment success.

5. Save and track

   Save the treatment. It appears in the Varroa Dashboard as an active entry. For long-term treatments (e.g., formic acid over several days), you can set the end date when the treatment is completed.

Understanding Infestation Curves

The heart of the Varroa Dashboard is the infestation curve: a chart showing Varroa infestation over time. Read correctly, it tells you more than any single measurement.

What Does the Curve Show?

The X-axis shows time (weeks or months), the Y-axis shows the measured mite infestation. Depending on the counting method, you see:

• Natural mite fall per day (sticky board, insert): How many mites fall off on their own per day
• Mites per 100 bees (wash method, powdered sugar): Percentage infestation of adult bees

Typical Annual Pattern

A typical infestation curve looks like this:

• Spring (March-April): Low mite fall (under 1/day). The mite population is at its lowest after winter treatment
• Early summer (May-June): Slight increase. Mites multiply with the growing brood area
• Midsummer (July): Noticeable increase. The mite population grows exponentially in capped brood
• Late summer (August): Critical point. Natural mite fall can rise to 10-30/day. Treatment is now essential
• Autumn (September-October): After treatment, mite fall drops back to low levels
• Winter (December): Broodless period. Oxalic acid treatment reaches all mites sitting on the bees

Thresholds: When Does It Become Critical?

The thresholds depend on the season because the harmful effect of mites varies with colony strength and brood volume:

Automatic Alerts

Hivekraft monitors your entered Varroa values and warns you when thresholds are exceeded. Alerts appear on the dashboard and in the colony traffic light.

What Alerts Are Available?

• Rising trend: Three consecutive measurements with increasing mite fall trigger an advisory
• Threshold exceeded: When mite fall exceeds the seasonal threshold, the traffic light switches to yellow or red
• Treatment overdue: When the last treatment entry is older than typical for the season
• Withdrawal period active: Reminder that a withdrawal period after treatment is still active and harvesting is not allowed

Treatment History per Colony

In the Varroa Dashboard, you see the complete treatment history for each colony:

• Which product was applied when?
• What was the mite fall before and after treatment?
• Was the treatment successful? (Mite fall reduction in percent)
• Withdrawal periods: Which withdrawal periods are still in effect?

This history is valuable for treatment planning: if you know that formic acid worked well for a specific colony last year, you can repeat the same strategy. If the effect was mediocre, you try a different product.

Year-Over-Year Comparison

One of the most useful features in the Varroa Dashboard: comparison with the previous year.

• Mite fall comparison: Was the infestation this year higher or lower than last year at the same time?
• Treatment timing: Did you treat earlier or later this year?
• Treatment success: Was the reduction better or worse?

This comparison helps you improve your Varroa management year by year. If the infestation rises earlier every year, this indicates a general burden in the region -- then you may need to adjust your treatment strategy.

Exporting the Colony Record Book as PDF

Hivekraft automatically generates an EU-compliant colony record book from your treatment entries. You can export it at any time as a PDF -- bilingual in German and English.

The colony record book contains all required information:

• Colony identification and location
• Date of every treatment
• Veterinary medicine with batch number
• Dosage and application method
• Supplier and invoice number
• Withdrawal period
• Treating person
• Veterinarian and prescription number (if applicable)

Knowledge Check

In the next lesson, we cover Harvests and Labels -- how to document your honey harvests, manage batches, and use QR codes for maximum transparency.