Northern Branch Tasmanian Beekeepers Association

30/08/2026

Fascinating. Let’s hope stinging nettle is part of the answer to the question of how to control Varroa destructor. Do you have a patch growing at home? Perhaps a pot between hives in an apiary will be a partial deterrent.

Who would have thought that a nasty w**d that stings your ankles while walking through the apiary might actually turn out to be a lethal weapon against Varroa?

I feel that I don't talk enough about this topic.

For decades, we have watched beekeepers dump all kinds of bizarre herbal remedies into their hives, but recent peer reviewed research finally put stinging nettle under a microscope to see what it actually does inside a colony.

I usually roll my eyes at natural miracle cures hyped on social media forums, but the data from these controlled trials genuinely blew me away.

So, let's break down how this w**d actually attacks the parasite so you can understand what is going on and what the hype is about.

These recent studies revealed that stinging nettle is loaded with potent active compounds like isopropyl palmitate, trans totarol, and heavy fatty acids (I know, scientific names are boring, but these molecules do all the heavy lifting 🙂).

When the scientists applied a 20% ethanolic nettle extract spray directly onto bee covered combs, they recorded an 88.93% drop in phoretic mites hitchhiking on adult workers.

At first I was skeptical too, but since I last posted the delivery methods, some people from the community tested them with great success.

Let's be honest here, that's a massive knockdown for a simple concentrated botanical spray.

Even crazier, in the same study, when dried nettle was burned in a smoker, the volatile smoke pe*****ted the porous wax cappings and knocked out 94.82% of the reproducing mites hiding under sealed brood cells.

I honestly have never seen a novel treatment that works this well, and as a bonus, it's organic too.

Damn, those numbers compete directly with synthetic chemicals without leaving synthetic residues in your comb.

So, what are you waiting for?

If you enjoyed this article, I invite you to read the first chapter of my book (You can find it in my bio 🙏)

Happy beekeeping and full barrels 🐝🍯

28/08/2026

22/08/2026

Good to see this question being put in parliament.

19/08/2026

The purpose the Biosecurity Tasmania's IRA is to identify weaknesses in Tasmania’s current biosecurity measures with respect to Varroa entering the state. Once those deficiencies have been identified, the next step is for Biosecurity Tasmania to determine what needs to be done to reduce the risks of entry to an acceptable level. One of the purposes of the public review of the draft is to (1) hear about anything that has been missed, (2) endorse measures identified in the IRA, or (3) seek strengthening of what is being proposed.

The NBTBA would appreciate its members and other Tasmanian beekeepers providing feedback on the measures.

Protecting Tasmania's honey bees means protecting our agriculture, food production and environment. 🐝

Biosecurity Tasmania is working to strengthen protections for honey bees and keep Tasmania free from varroa mite.

A draft Import Risk Analysis (IRA) has been released for public consultation. It assesses the risk of varroa mite entering Tasmania and proposes measures to reduce that risk.

We're inviting beekeepers, agricultural industries, businesses and interested community members to review the draft analysis and have their say.

📅 Submissions close at 5.00 pm on Wednesday 16 September 2026.
🔗 Read the draft IRA and make a submission: www.nre.tas.gov.au/varroaIRA

17/08/2026

Our next general meeting will be held tonight, Monday 17th August at 7:00 p.m. at Legacy House, 59 York Street, Launceston.

The meeting will incorporate Round 2 of this year’s honey competition, including the Roger Smith Trophy for the Best Tasting Honey. Members have been sent the competition schedule and an entry form. Entries will be accepted prior to the meeting, from 6:30 p.m.

We welcome members and visitors. Come and have a cuppa, talk bees, and taste our honey. Sweet!!!

Send a message to learn more

30/07/2026

Pollination of food crops in SA is becoming very costly due to treatments needed to knock down Varroa destructor mite numbers. It’s imperative that we all work to keep Tasmania varroa-free for as long as possible.

Please be aware that importing bees and used bee equipment into Tasmania is not only illegal but has HUGE implications for all of us (not just beekeepers). It’s just not worth the risk.

Beekeepers want more drastic measures taken to manage the deadly parasite varroa mite amidst food security concerns.

19/07/2026

Our next general meeting will be held on Monday 20th July at 7:00 p.m. at Legacy House, 59 York Street, Launceston.

The first part of this year’s honey competition will take place at this meeting. Members have been sent the schedule (and it also appears as a pinned post on this page) and an entry form. Entries will be accepted prior to the meeting, from 6:30 p.m.

We welcome members and visitors. Come and have a cuppa, talk bees, and taste our honey.

Send a message to learn more

11/07/2026

This is such a clever idea (read the translation for a description of what’s happening). I wonder if it would work for European wasps? Worth a try perhaps.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/194AZsVM3R/?mibextid=wwXIfr

07/07/2026

This looks to be(e) promising. It’s good that researchers continue to look for solutions to the problem of Varroa destructor.

Peer reviewed research published in 2025 has finally validated Urtica dioica (stinging nettle) as an effective weapon against the Varroa destructor parasite.

For decades, we have tried all sorts of natural remedies to fight this varroa problem, and somehow it seems that we've finally found something that actually works.

I usually question literally anything that doesn't come out of a lab analysis (and sometimes even that), but this study simply blew me away (Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) as a potential control agent for Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) in honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera))

Let's see how the Stinging Nettle works against the Varroa.

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry analysis has isolated the precise bioactive molecules responsible for this potent acaricidal activity.

The primary active components working within the plant are isopropyl palmitate and trans totarol alongside heavy octadecatrienoic fatty acids (I know this part is boring :) ).

The most intriguing aspect of this treatment is its dual capability to target parasites both on adult bees and inside the capped brood cells.

The biological math from these controlled trials shows that a 20% ethanolic nettle extract spray slashes the phoretic mite infestation on adult workers by 88.93%.

That is huge.

When applied as a dried plant smoke, the volatile aerosols pe*****te deep into the comb matrix and destroy 94.82% of the mites reproducing under the sealed wax caps.

You should know that while hard treatments like formic acid can achieve a 100% mite knockdown, they simultaneously inflict a massive toxicological tax on your colony.

Formic acid treatments severely compromise bee physiology by spiking cellular oxidative stress and increasing adult worker mortality (if it's not dosed right, which usually isn't).

I believe the real magic of stinging nettle lies in the fact that it achieves comparable mite suppression while being completely natural and risk free (at least for now, it seems to be risk free but I am sure it will be studied more in the future).

Malondialdehyde is the primary biomarker for lipid peroxidation, meaning that the nettle serves as a powerful antioxidant shield for the colony.

Let me explain what this means.

By suppressing this cellular rust, the treatment actively protects the bee's fat body tissue, which is where the mites are feeding from.

Basically, Nettle extract increased the activity of Glutathione S-transferase (GST), a detoxifying enzyme, in worker bees, which elevates their natural capacity to detoxify environmental poisons.

Nettle also acts as a protective antioxidant agent against oxidative damage for the colony.

The truth is that Nettle seems to be a highly efficient weapon against Varroa, but I'd like to see more studies on this topic before yelling Eureka.

If you enjoyed this article, I invite you to read the first chapter of my book.

You can find it in my bio 🙏

Thank you for reading 📖

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic 🧡
Please leave a like if you've found this interesting 🐝

Happy beekeeping and full barrels 🐝🍯