Steve Riley: The honey bee solution to varroa

Online conference in English, free of charge

The ectoparasite Varroa destructor has spread from Asia across the world over the last 30 to 40 years, infesting managed and free-living colonies of Apis mellifera honey bees. After a period of adjustment, some honey bees developed hygienic traits that limit the growth of varroa and allow an equilibrium to form. Steve Riley discusses these natural defences, how beekeepers can identify them, and why the vast majority of managed colonies still depend on increasing amounts of miticides to keep their bees alive. The talk is followed by a live Q&A.

About the speaker

Steve Riley is the author of the Apimondia award-winning book The Honey Bee Solution to Varroa and a member of the “Path to Varroa Resistance” team behind the science and education website varroaresistant.uk. He is the former Chair and Education Officer of Westerham Beekeepers, a club in the south-east of England that selects for varroa-resistant traits and is now in its ninth year without miticide treatments. Around 160 colonies are part of the project. Steve speaks on varroa resistance at national and international conferences and to beekeeping clubs across the UK, mainland Europe, the USA and Australia. In 2025 he took part in the “Breeding for Varroa Resistance” round table at Apimondia in Copenhagen.

Details

Date: Wednesday, 9 December 2026
Time: 7:00 to 8:30 pm CET (6:00 to 7:30 pm UK time)
Format: online conference (Zoom)
Language: English
Admission: free

Joining is free. Simply register using the form below and we will send you your personal link to the live session by email. Can’t make it live? Register anyway and we will send you the recording.free. Simply register using the form below and we will send you your personal link to the live session by email.