Hyperthermia: A Biotechnical Approach to Varroa Mite Control

The hyperthermia process involves overheating the brood combs outside of the bee colony. This method effectively eliminates all female mites reproducing within the capped brood cells by subjecting the combs to heat.

Since the 1970s, synthetic chemical miticides, often delivered via strips, became the most widely used method for Varroa mite control due to their ease of use. However, two significant drawbacks emerged: within a few years, mites developed resistance to these chemicals, and toxic residues accumulated in the wax, eventually contaminating the honey. In response, organic acids were introduced and remain the most common method of mite control today.

In the late 1980s, scientists began searching for biotechnical, chemical-free alternatives to Varroa control. One early approach involved removing drone brood to reduce mite pressure, but this proved insufficient. Peter Rosenkranz discovered that Varroa mites preferred brood nests cooler than 35°C and could not survive temperatures 10°C above the normal brood nest temperature—temperatures that bee pupae can withstand.

After extensive experimentation, a breakthrough was made: a device capable of treating frames with capped brood (free from adult bees) using heat was developed, preventing the bees from cooling down the hive.

Nearly 20 years ago, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wimmer in Vienna created a new device specifically for Varroa mite control. After three years of field testing, the Varroa Controller was introduced to the market in 2011, marking a significant milestone in the journey toward effective hyperthermia-based mite control.