Introduction

Honeybees are among the most remarkable creatures on earth. They pollinate our crops, produce honey, and sustain ecosystems—yet they face serious threats that put their survival at risk. At the Happy Chicks Foundation, we’ve had the privilege of working with honeybees firsthand, from catching wild swarms to witnessing the incredible resilience of a queen whose colony fought off Varroa mites without any chemical treatment. In this post, we’ll share our experiences and dive into the science of what makes some bee colonies survivors.

Catching Wild Swarms: A Beekeeper’s Adventure

Every spring, honeybee colonies that have outgrown their hive send out a swarm—a cloud of thousands of bees led by the old queen, searching for a new home. For a beekeeper, catching a wild swarm is one of the most exciting things you can do. These are free bees, adapted to your local climate, and often hardier than commercially bred stock.

Our method is simple: we scent an empty hive with lemongrass essential oil. Lemongrass contains compounds called citral and geraniol, which closely mimic the Nasonov pheromone—the natural “come home” scent that worker bees use to orient their sisters to a new location. When scout bees find your scented hive, they report back to the swarm, and if conditions are right, the whole colony moves in.

How to Set Up a Swarm Lure

• Place a few drops of lemongrass essential oil on a cotton ball inside the hive. Less is more—too much oil can actually repel bees rather than attract them.
• Position the hive in a visible location, ideally along a tree line or fence row, and elevated if possible.
• Set out your bait hive in early spring, about two to four weeks after the first flowers bloom.
• Be patient. You may catch a swarm within days, or it may take weeks. Every season is different.

We’ve been fortunate to catch wild swarms right in our own yard this way. There’s something deeply satisfying about providing a home for a colony that chose to be there.

The Varroa Mite: Beekeeping’s Greatest Challenge

If you keep bees, you will eventually encounter Varroa destructor—a parasitic mite that attaches to honeybees and their developing brood, feeding on their fat bodies and transmitting devastating viruses. Varroa mites are considered the single greatest threat to managed honeybee colonies worldwide. Left unchecked, a mite infestation can collapse a thriving hive in a matter of months.

Most beekeepers manage Varroa with chemical treatments—organic acids like oxalic acid or formic acid, or synthetic miticides. These treatments can be effective, but they come with downsides: cost, timing constraints, and the risk that mites develop resistance over time. That’s why the beekeeping world has become increasingly interested in a different approach—breeding bees that can fight the mites themselves.

Varroa Sensitive Hygiene: Nature’s Defense

Some honeybee colonies have a remarkable behavioral trait known as Varroa Sensitive Hygiene, or VSH. Worker bees in VSH colonies can detect when a developing pupa in a capped brood cell has been parasitized by a Varroa mite. These workers then uncap the cell, remove the infested pupa, and clean out the cell—stopping the mite from reproducing.

This behavior is extraordinary. The bees are essentially performing targeted surgery on their own brood to protect the colony. Research from the USDA Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Lab has shown that VSH is a heritable trait, meaning it can be selected for and strengthened through careful breeding programs.

The Science of VSH

Recent research has demonstrated significant progress in breeding for VSH traits. In controlled selection programs, mean Suppressed Mite Reproduction (SMR) scores rose substantially over recent years, with some colonies achieving a perfect 100% score—meaning they detected and removed every single parasitized cell.

Scientists have found that VSH bees use their antennae to detect subtle chemical signals from infested brood cells. They can distinguish between cells containing live, reproducing mites and those that are healthy—an astonishing level of sensory discrimination.

Our Experience: A Queen Who Fought Back

We witnessed this firsthand with one of our own queens. She led a colony that was genuinely resistant to Varroa. When mites infiltrated cells in the brood comb, her worker bees detected the infestation and cleaned out the affected areas. They would uncap infested cells, remove the compromised pupae, and keep the colony healthy—all without any chemical treatment from us.

This queen’s colony thrived while other hives around the area struggled with mite loads. It was a powerful reminder that bees have their own defenses when given the chance to express them.

Why Wild and Feral Bees Matter

Wild and feral bee colonies—the kind we catch with our lemongrass-scented hives—are of special interest to researchers studying mite resistance. These colonies survive without any human intervention, meaning they’ve been subjected to natural selection pressures that favor mite-resistant traits. By catching wild swarms and working with locally adapted bees, small-scale beekeepers like us can contribute to preserving and spreading these valuable genetics.

What You Can Do

• Support local beekeepers who prioritize breeding for mite resistance and sustainable practices.
• Plant pollinator-friendly gardens with a diversity of flowers that bloom throughout the growing season.
• Avoid pesticides in your yard—what kills pests often harms bees too.
• If you’re interested in beekeeping, consider starting with locally adapted bees or catching a wild swarm.
• Learn more about Varroa Sensitive Hygiene and ask your local bee club about VSH breeding programs.

Closing Thoughts

Honeybees have been on this planet for over 100 million years. They’ve survived ice ages, continent shifts, and countless challenges. With a little help from thoughtful beekeeping and the incredible genetic potential already present in their own DNA, we believe they can overcome the Varroa threat too.

From our hives to yours—keep buzzing. The Happy Chicks Foundation.