Norroa treatment

[Ikwezinz]

Morning, anyone heard anything about this new treatment or used it at all Norroa™

Doesn't kill varroa but interrupts the breeding cycle apparently so a different approach than current methods

 

[Alastair]

Hey thanks for bringing this to our attention!

Mann Lake is a reputable firm and would not be selling it if they did not believe the claims made by the manufacturer.

Issue here is it is not a registered mite treatment in NZ so at this time would be illegal to use, that could be solved if somebody did the work and went through the registration process.

But the biggy might be the price. In NZ dollars something around $30 per treatment, which lasts up to 18 weeks. That's around 4 months so if someone wanted to use only that, 3 treatments a year would be needed, at a cost of around $90.00 per hive.

So most likely not viable for commercials, but an option for keen hobbyists wanting to experiment.

But with other treatments losing their effectiveness, we are heading towards "splash the cash", or lose your bees.

 

[tristan]

had a quick look at how it works.
i'm a little skeptical at some of the claims. the reason being is it works by being stored in the the brood food.

Once the syrup is stored in the brood nest, nurse bees begin using it as brood food. This is critical to how Norroa works. When varroa mites hide under the larvae just before cell capping, they encounter Norroa during the final larval feedings. Even a small amount is enough to stop mite reproduction. If syrup stores remain in the brood area, mite levels will remain steady and suppressed.

For best results, apply when:
- Mite levels are low (always monitor before treatment)
- Open brood is present
- Honey supers are not on the hive

Because it’s formulated as a syrup, follow typical feeding rules, avoid application during heavy nectar flows, and wait about a week after treatment before adding supers. The window between treatment and super placement is generally no more than 10 days.

it only works if the stores are eaten and i suspect will be gone once all the stores its in are eaten. thats going to take a fair bit of management. avoid heavy flows also includes feeding.
its clearly problematic with anyone who leaves honey supers on.
so really its more of a early spring or winter treatment (unless you have sharp single honey flows). probably excellent for northland winter.

but it also doesn't help with reinvasion, which is a big problem. most likely will have to be combined with something else.

otherwise it looks like another useful tool in the tool box. can't wait for it to be available here.

 

[Alastair]

Agreed. Like most of the somewhat alternative treatments coming out now, it is not "set and forget" like the traditional treatments, it will require skill and understanding of both bee, and varroa dynamics to get good results with it, and like Tristan said, be part of a management program rather than the whole management program.