Molly Quade: Fighting Varroa with Fungi (360) — Beekeeping Today Podcast

Honey bees continue to face shifting pressures from pests, and few are as relentless as varroa mites. In this episode, Jeff and Becky talk with Washington State University graduate student Molly Quade, whose research into fighting varroa with fungi offers a promising biological alternative to traditional mite treatments.

Molly studies entomopathogenic fungi—especially Metarhizium species—which naturally infect arthropods and are already used in agriculture for pest management. Her work centers on finding fungal strains that can tolerate the warm environment of a honey bee colony, one of the biggest barriers to making fungus-based varroa control viable. Through strain selection and thermal tolerance testing, Molly and her colleagues are working toward biological tools that could function inside a living hive.

The conversation breaks down how fungi infect varroa without harming bees, why biological treatments may reduce resistance issues, and the practical challenges of delivering fungal spores inside the hive. Molly also shares insights on fungal interactions with bee immunity and how wax moth larvae unexpectedly support early-stage testing.

For beekeepers searching for future tools to manage mites more sustainably, this episode offers a clear, engaging look at one of the most innovative research directions underway today.

Websites from the episode and others we recommend:

Washington State University Honey Bees & Pollinator Program: https://bees.wsu.edu
Molly's WSU Presentation, "Entomopathogenic Metarhizium for Varroa Control" on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSndz3Z39gw&t=139s
Beekeeping Today: The Book - Photo Requests - https://www.beekeepingtodaypodcast.com/p/beekeeping-today-the-book.
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast: https://honeybeeobscura.com
Project Apis m. (PAm): https://www.projectapism.org
Honey Bee Health Coalition: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org
The National Honey Board: https://honey.com
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast: https://honeybeeobscura.com

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Thanks to Bee Smart Designs as a sponsor of this podcast! Bee Smart Designs is the creator of innovative, modular and interchangeable hive systems made in the USA using recycled and American sourced materials. Bee Smart Designs - Simply better beekeeping for the modern beekeeper.

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