Miticide Residues in Honey

Treatment of beehives with chemical mticides for Varroa mites has raised concerns over the possible contamination of honey and beeswax. A recent study conducted at Virginia Tech has shown that miticide residues in honey are not a problem for consumers. Bee researchers at Tech analyzed 50 samples of honey from around Virginia. Twenty-two samples were taken directly from beehives, half from the brood-nest areas and half from honey supers. The remaining 28 samples were taken from honey samples submitted by beekeepers as part of study on honey bacteria (and thus not biased by pre-selection). No coumaphos or fluvalinate residues (the two major chemical miticides) were detected in any of the bottled honey samples. Trace levels (<0.05 parts per million) of either coumaphos or fluvalinate were detected in 3 honey samples collected directly from the comb in hives. The levels detected were below U.S EPA tolerance levels and primarily in brood frames (and thus not extracted). However, in spite of the results, beekeepers need to be aware of the potential for contamination and reduce the use of miticides whenever possible. Beekeepers should promote the adoption of more sustainable integrated hive management practices.

This work was supported by a grant from the US EPA on Reduced Pesticide Use in Bee Hives (X8-973376).