If mites are detected you may need to treat in order to save your colony. Also, never treat during a nectar flow because the chemicals can contaminate the honey, and never leave strips in hives after the recommended time because this encourages resistance. In recent years mite resistance to Apistan strips has become a problem throughout the world. Therefore, rotating chemicals, delaying treatment and using cultural controls are recommended to manage mites in a more sustainable manner. Delaying treatment can be accomplished if you monitor the level of Varroa infestation in your colonies.
Treatment is justified only when the economic threshold is achieved.
Economic thresholds are defined as the pest level that justifies treatment in order to prevent the pest from reaching damaging levels. 4 Ether rolls are easy to do and require little work. Shake the jar for 30 seconds. The mites will dislodge from the bees and stick to the sides of the jar. Count the number of mites and compare them to the numbers above.