The effectiveness of thermotherapy in the elimination of Varroa destructor

Linhart‘s thermosolar hive was tested on its efficiency in suppressing the mite Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman 2000 in honey bee colonies. It has been experimentally verified that thermotherapy is highly effective in suppressing Varroa destructor. When the temperature of the brood chamber is allowed to reach and is maintained at 40 - 47 °C (104 - 116,6 °F) over a period of 2.5 hours, mortality of the mites in the sealed brood is virtually absolute, whereas bee brood withstands this temperature unharmed. Since thermotherapy is carried out with an open entrance, it is advisable to repeat the heating treatment cycle in order to achieve a highly effective elimination of the mites throughout the entire bee colony. The second treatment should be conducted after the remaining mites, which were carried by adult bees not present in the hive during the initial thermotherapy, transferred back to the brood. This occurs about 10 - 12 days after the first treatment.