1. Introduction
2. Emergence of Varroa-resistance
3. Varroa and Viruses; why They Overwhelm Colonies
4. How Varroa-resistant Colonies Manage Their Mite Populations
5. Why Selecting for Varroa-resistant Traits is Important
6. Westerham Beekeepers’ Monitoring of Varroa-resistance Traits
7. Other Approaches to Monitoring
8. Seasonality of Honey Bees’ Hygienic Behaviour Against Varroa
9. Contributory Colony Health Factors
10. Selection Process and Spreading Varroa-resistance
11. Drones: a Pivot for Varroa-resistant Traits
12. Sustainable Apiary for Varroa-resistant Bees
13. Honey Yields and Colony Survival
14. Lessons Learned
15. Getting Started / Transitioning from Treated Colonies

• Acknowledgements
• References and Further Reading
• Appendix
• Short-term Biotechnical Stepping-stone

REVIEW BY MARY MONTAUT AN BEACHAIRE JUNE 2026

This book is illuminating. Steve Riley approaches the problem of Varroa destructor in our hives in a holistic way by bringing in the missing element - the life cycle of the mite itself.

Perhaps beekeepers panicked when the mite arrived here twenty-odd years ago, and we began to 'treat' our hives with various mite­-killing chemicals. We saw well enough that the bees didn't like these treatments - but we took a blinkered view, that we just had to rid the hives of these invasive mites. Soon the mites developed resistance to the various 'treatments'; but the bees were no better - in fact probably worse than before, due to the stress, which increased their susceptibility to viruses, etc.

Steve Riley's book is the record of the Westerham Beekeepers' Project, begun in 2017 after he attended Gormanston and heard Dr Ralph Buchler give a series of lectures about managing Varroa. Dr Buchler's more natural approach to varroa control, and the increasing awareness among beekeepers that the 'Integrated Pest Control' model was not really working, inspired the Westerham beekeepers to try 'treatment free· management. The results of this Project are absolutely fascinating. They realized that there are naturally occurring colonies which manage Varroa for themselves without intervention, and which do not die out as expected. Dr Tom Seeley's research on the survival of the honeybees in Arnott Forest encouraged them to try 'no treatment'. Recently there has been a growing awareness of the value of these 'free-living' bees and their genetic potential.

The first part of the book gives detailed insight into the life-cycle of the Varroa mite, including some recent research which makes profound sense. (As fellow beekeepers often point out. it makes no sense for a parasite to kill off its host.) The life-cycle of the mite is adjusted to take advantage of the cycle of the honey-bee colony, and the natural response of the bee colony is to limit the mite to manageable numbers - evolution, in short. Exactly how the naturally varroa-resistant bees do this is the subject of this book.

In 'treating' the pest. Riley points out. we interrupt the natural methods of the bees - and trap ourselves into a vicious cycle where the colonies we 'save· cannot express their potential 'solution·. So, in maintaining treatment-dependency in our colonies, we hamper the development of natural resistance in the bee population. Riley's description of the way in which the Varroa mites reproduce elucidates the reasons why our treatments are out of sync with the bees· natural potential for managing the mites. Basically, we have taken the 'mite drop' as the key to the problem; whereas the bees can sense the mites, uncap cells. and time their interventions precisely so that the mite's reproduction is checked. Observations about uncapping brood cells have been made before but lacked the understanding of the precise timing of the bees· own controls. This book pulls it all together.

In the Westerham Project the close monitoring of mites by the bees themselves is explained scientifically, and there is constant attention to the life cycle of the colony. The way in which the two life-cycles - mites and bees - interact is always in focus. This is directly relevant for beekeepers. It points out what and when we should try to observe as the bees varroa control itself. They recommend the use of a mesh floor with a board under it to assess the activities of the bees, particularly the rejected exoskeletons of pupae, which have not been noted like this before. The book explains the exact importance of these observations and recording them to see how 'resistant' the colony is naturally. Sliding out the lower 'floor' under the mesh is not disturbing for the bees; not disturbing them unnecessarily is a major element in managing more naturally.

The aim of the book is to enable beekeepers to increase the varroa­-resistant bee population and to cull the less-resistant strains which are presently being kept going by our interventions. Riley believes that our interventions in the bees· management harms the bee population generally, as it artificially maintains non-resistant stocks. which dilute the gene pool. Having established the genius of the resistant bees in managing for themselves, Riley explains in detail how the necessary monitoring and culling are achieved. At this point in the book, the immense value of the Project becomes very clear, and the frankness about their difficulties, errors and progress is refreshingly practical. Little hints in Riley's writing show a familiar beekeeper-oriented mind: he reminds the reader of the 'trade-off' for the time monitoring against 'time and money saved by not applying miticides.'

I found the chapter on Drones inspiring. A discussion of drone brood culling (to control Varroa - a 'biotechnical' not a chemical method!) shows the unnecessarily wasteful approach. These most under-appreciated bees are given full and meaningful value by Riley: he describes the Project's fit and healthy drones as giving them a 'competitive advantage· in the DCA, and thus improving the general fitness of all the honey bees in the locality.

The following chapter, 'Sustainable Apiary for Varroa-Resistant Bees' (Ch.12). may attract the reader who just wants the nitty-gritty; but wisely, Riley recaps the most salient points from the scientific discussion of the earlier chapters. and refers back to the graphs and illustrations in those chapters. The way in which the Westerham Beekeepers' Project manages its apiaries is explained in careful detail for others to understand, and a particularly likeable brief chapter (ch.14) 'Lessons Learned' shares some blind allies and diversions along the way to 'sustainability'.

I would like to underline how important I feel the science behind this book truly is: the references in the Bibliography bear this out. The Beekeepers' focus is maintained: there is detailed advice about moving away from treatments of all sorts, towards a management style which is based on identifying varroa-resistance and bree"ding only from those colonies. This will be increasingly useful for beekeepers everywhere: but it is interesting to note the South African experience (p101) where 'nobody treated' when Varroa arrived, and 'annual losses reverted to pre-Varroa days'. The Bees' Solution!

REVIEW BY ANN CHILCOTT (SCOTTISH EXPERT BEEMASTER) AND AUTHOR OF THE BEELISTENER

The Honey Bee Solution to Varroa: A Practical Guide for Beekeepers is about how we can work with our honey bees to deploy their natural traits to resist Varroa destructor (varroa). This will enable us, over a few years, to stop using chemical or biotechnical treatments and keep healthy productive colonies. Steve Riley is an experienced beekeeper who is currently Chair and Education Officer for Westerham Beekeeper’s Association in the south-east of England. He speaks widely around the UK on how to identify key traits of resistance to varroa and achieve the ultimate goal.

Riley and his colleagues have worked under guidance from, and in close collaboration with, some of the leading scientists in this field. Emeritus Professor Stephen Martin has written the foreword to this book. Riley charts their six-year journey from researching and experimenting, to fine tuning management strategies to achieve success and varroa-resistant bees. We benefit from their mistakes and learn lessons from these pioneers.

There are 15 short chapters laid out under helpful headings. Included is an extensive reference section and recommended reading list, and a useful appendix that charts a stepping-stone approach toward achieving the goal of varroa-resistance. The photographs and diagrams are clear and explanatory, especially the picture of chewed-out pupae on the bottom board, which are a key feature in the selection of resistant bees. The pictures enhance the text and teach us how to find out which colonies are uncapping and recapping brood, which is another strategic feature to note in the process.

Simple monitoring of varroa using open mesh floors (OMF) and bottom boards is advised because we want to study more than just mites. “When you insert a varroa board under an OMF, you have a research lab generating a wealth of information.”

This book is well written and the instructions and explanations are clear, concise, and easy to understand. It will be popular with beekeepers because one of its key features is the simplicity of the methods used for attaining varroa resistance, and the ease of replication making this goal achievable for the newest beekeeper.

We learn the history of treatment-free beekeeping and how South African beekeepers have never treated for varroa. Colonies were lost after varroa arrived in South Africa, but in 5-8 years the colonies that survived built up and developed a resistance that enabled them to flourish. We discover that several groups of UK beekeepers have been working together for some years already to successfully achieve this goal.

One of the key things about solving livestock problems is to fully understand the biology of the animals involved. Riley does an excellent job of explaining the life history of varroa and how varroa resistant colonies manage them. Did you know that a foundress varroa mite can live up to one year? And, did you know that the dispersal phase in the varroa life cycle is what we used to call the phoretic phase? Riley’s book is up to date which makes it so useful for beekeepers studying for modular exams.

I agree with the author that, “mainstream beekeeping does not currently teach about selection for varroa-resistance. As a result, the honey bee and varroa relationship is moving further out of balance. By using miticides, beekeepers are unwittingly removing the natural selection pressure on their honey bees to deal with the mites. The result is a cycle of breeding from bees which are susceptible to varroa.”

The Honey Bee Solution to Varroa is a timely publication when the world is seeking better ways to live sustainably and be less reliant on chemicals to solve problems. Every beekeeper needs to be aware of what is going on with modern varroa management, even if they do not plan to follow the advice shared in this ideal guide book.