Honey Bee Health Coalition Varroa Management Guidelines: 2026 Update
The Honey Bee Health Coalition's Varroa mite guide has been downloaded over 2 million times since its first publication, making it the most widely referenced varroa management document in US beekeeping. When beekeepers, extension agents, and inspectors talk about "what the research recommends," they're usually citing HBHC guidance.
Here's what the 2026 guidelines cover, what's changed, and how VarroaVault's defaults align with the current recommendations.
TL;DR
- The Honey Bee Health Coalition (HBHC) recommends treating when mite levels reach 2% in summer or 1% in fall
- HBHC's Tools for Varroa Management guide is the most widely cited reference for US monitoring protocols
- The HBHC recommends alcohol wash as the most accurate monitoring method for adult bees
- Coalition guidelines emphasize integrated pest management: monitoring before treating, rotating treatments, tracking efficacy
- State beekeeping associations often adopt HBHC thresholds as their official recommendations
- VarroaVault's default thresholds align with current HBHC guidelines
What the HBHC Is and Why Its Guidelines Matter
The Honey Bee Health Coalition is a multi-stakeholder group that includes commercial beekeepers, researchers, government agencies, academic institutions, and industry organizations. Its varroa management guide is developed through a collaborative process that synthesizes published research, field experience, and expert consensus.
The HBHC's guidelines carry weight because:
- They're updated as new research emerges (not static documents from 2010)
- They're written for practical implementation by working beekeepers
- They're cited by state apiary programs, extension services, and crop insurance carriers
- They represent a genuine research-practitioner consensus rather than a single institution's view
The 2026 update reflects recent developments in resistance monitoring data, clarifications on OA vaporization protocol timing, and updated efficacy ranges based on new field studies.
Core 2026 Threshold Recommendations
The HBHC 2026 guidelines maintain the treatment threshold framework from previous versions with some clarifications:
Action threshold: 2% during late summer/fall (July through October)
This is the threshold that protects the winter bee cohort. At or above 2% from July onward, treatment is recommended.
Action threshold: 2% during early spring (April-May)
The 2026 update explicitly states that the 2% threshold is also appropriate for early spring. Some previous informal guidance used 3% as a spring threshold; the 2026 guidelines clarify that protecting spring build-up colonies at 2% is appropriate.
Modified threshold: 1% for brood-rearing season in high-pressure areas
A new addition in the 2026 guidelines: for apiaries in high-reinfestation-risk zones (within 2 miles of other beekeeping operations with unknown or high mite history), 1% is a reasonable threshold during the active season. This is guidance for specific contexts, not a universal change to the active-season threshold.
2026 Monitoring Recommendations
The HBHC minimum monitoring standard remains monthly counts from April through October, with alcohol wash as the gold standard method.
2026 additions:
- Explicit recommendation to count before AND after every treatment, not just when monitoring thresholds are reached
- Guidance on the appropriate post-treatment counting window for each product class
- Recommendation to increase to 3-week intervals in July-August in standard management situations (not just high-pressure apiaries)
On counting methods: The 2026 guidelines explicitly state that sticky board counts are not acceptable as the sole monitoring method for threshold decisions. Sticky boards are acceptable as supplemental trend indicators only. Alcohol wash is required for any treatment decision count. sugar roll is acceptable for interim monitoring between threshold decisions but not for definitive threshold assessments.
2026 Treatment Rotation Guidance
The 2026 guidelines update the rotation framework to reflect current resistance data:
OA (vaporization and dribble): Recommended as the backbone of any rotation. No documented resistance. Extended vaporization protocol confirmed as effective with brood present when applications are spaced 5-7 days apart.
Formic acid (Formic Pro and MAQS): Strongly recommended for the late summer treatment window due to brood penetration. No documented resistance. Temperature compliance (50-85°F) emphasized.
Amitraz (Apivar): Appropriate for operations in non-resistance zones but should be used strategically, not as the default every cycle. Resistance confirmed in New England, New York, and parts of the Southeast. Annual efficacy monitoring with Apivar essential.
Thymol (Apiguard): Appropriate in organic programs and as a rotation component in conventional programs. Temperature requirements limit use in northern states in fall.
Coumaphos (CheckMite+) and tau-fluvalinate (Apistan): The 2026 guidelines explicitly recommend against using either product due to widespread resistance. The guidelines note that Apistan failures now occur in nearly all US regions.
How VarroaVault's Defaults Align With HBHC 2026
VarroaVault's default threshold and monitoring settings are explicitly aligned with HBHC 2026 guidelines:
Default active season threshold: 2% (July-October), matching the HBHC 2026 recommendation. Can be adjusted to 1% for high-risk apiaries.
Default spring threshold: 2%, matching the 2026 clarification.
Default monitoring schedule: Monthly reminders from April through October, with automatic escalation to 3-week intervals from July 15 to September 30.
Counting method: VarroaVault's count log defaults to alcohol wash and explicitly notes when a sugar roll is entered that the method has 30-40% lower sensitivity than alcohol wash, per HBHC guidance.
Treatment product list: Does not include Apistan or CheckMite+ as recommended options, consistent with the 2026 guidelines' explicit recommendation against these products.
When your state apiary program, extension service, or pollination contract partner asks whether your records meet HBHC guidelines, your VarroaVault records can show alignment with the 2026 monitoring and threshold recommendations.
See also: Varroa monitoring best practices and Complete varroa management guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the HBHC 2026 threshold recommendations?
The HBHC 2026 guidelines recommend a 2% action threshold from July through October to protect the winter bee cohort, and a 2% threshold in early spring (April-May) to protect spring build-up colonies. For apiaries in high-reinfestation-risk zones (within 2 miles of other operations with unknown or high mite history), a 1% active-season threshold is appropriate. These replace the informal 3% spring threshold that was sometimes used under previous informal guidance.
Has the HBHC changed its treatment recommendations recently?
The 2026 guidelines update the rotation framework to reflect current resistance data. OA (vaporization and dribble) is reinforced as the backbone of any rotation. Formic acid is strongly recommended for the late summer brood-penetrating window. Amitraz (Apivar) remains appropriate in non-resistance zones but with explicit guidance on annual efficacy monitoring given documented resistance in New England, New York, and the Southeast. The guidelines explicitly recommend against Apistan and CheckMite+ due to widespread resistance.
Does VarroaVault follow the latest HBHC guidelines?
Yes. VarroaVault's default thresholds (2% July-October and 2% spring), monitoring schedule (monthly April-October with 3-week intervals in July-September), and counting method guidance (alcohol wash as primary method for threshold decisions) are explicitly aligned with HBHC 2026 recommendations. The treatment product list does not include Apistan or CheckMite+ as recommended options, consistent with the 2026 guidelines.
How do I know if my varroa treatment is working?
Run a mite count 2-4 weeks after the treatment ends and compare it to your pre-treatment count. The efficacy formula is: ((pre-count - post-count) / pre-count) x 100. A result above 90% indicates effective treatment. Results below 80% should trigger investigation for possible resistance, application error, or reinfestation. Log both counts in VarroaVault to track efficacy trends across treatment cycles.
How often should I check mite levels in my hives?
At minimum, once per month (every 3-4 weeks) during the active season. Increase to every 2 weeks when counts are near threshold or after a treatment to verify it worked. In fall, monitoring frequency matters most because the window to treat before winter bees are raised is narrow. VarroaVault's monitoring reminders can be set to your preferred interval for each apiary.
What records should I keep for varroa management?
Each record should include: date of count or treatment, hive identifier, monitoring method used, number of bees sampled, mites counted, infestation percentage, treatment product name and EPA registration number, dose applied, treatment start and end dates, and PHI end date. State apiarists typically expect this level of detail during inspections. VarroaVault captures all of these fields in a single log entry.
Sources
- American Beekeeping Federation (ABF)
- USDA ARS Bee Research Laboratory
- Honey Bee Health Coalition
- Penn State Extension Apiculture Program
- Project Apis m.
Get Started with VarroaVault
The information in this guide is most useful when you have your own mite count data to apply it to. VarroaVault stores every count, flags threshold crossings automatically, and builds the treatment history you need for state inspections and effective management decisions. Start your free trial at varroavault.com.