May YVBG Meeting - VarroaMate - Smart Varroa management for Australian beekeepers

1.30 for a 2pm start

2pm - Whats happening in my hive? 

Followed by our Speaker - Bernhard Dichtl

VarroaMate - Smart Varroa management for Australian beekeepers

The arrival of Varroa in Victoria is fundamentally changing the way we are keeping bees. Beekeepers need to learn heaps about mites (and bees), how the two interact throughout the season and how treatments work. All of this can be quite overwhelming.

To support beekeepers on this perilous journey, Yarra Valley Bee Group members Nena and Bernhard set out to design a WORLD FIRST digital tool: VarroaMate.

VarroaMate works in any web-browser on desktop, tablet and phone and it supports you when you are dealing with the following questions:

• How do I record alcohol wash counts and what do those mean?

• What treatments are available?

• How do I know that my treatment works as it should?

• When do I treat and which treatment works best and in which season?

• How will my treatment impact bees and mites and the hive?

• How often do I treat to get my bees through the year?

• How can I establish a treatment plan for the season? – or, in case you already have a plan – how effective is my plan and can I improve it?

VarroaMate enables you to give your hives the best chance to thrive.

At the meeting the numerous functions of VarroaMate will be demonstrated. In case that you would like to have a look beforehand go to varroamate.com and set up an account. Basic functionality for up to 3 hives is absolutely free!

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Join us and keep up to date with local conditions that effect your hive, connect with other beekeepers, share resources, improve your apiary skills and learn more about honeybee ecology.

Non members are welcome too. Meetings are held at ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn, in the ‘Coop’ (past the old house, over the green, down the bottom). Gold coin donation appreciated.