Simple & Pesticide-Free
Eltopia is in early stage development of a simple, pesticide-free way to remove varroa destructor mites in bee hives. Groundbreaking new technology, code named ‘MiteNot’, will sterilize mites thereby eliminating them without harming the bees.
Compostable
Eltopia developed a compostable circuit board that senses the stages of the bee broods reproductive cycle and applies heat at a specific temperature and time to sterilize the mites. The circuit board is created from renewable resources, such as cornstarch.
Easy to Use
Heat is applied when the honeycomb cells have been capped and the temperature stabilizes. This is the approximate time when female mites lay eggs but before the male mites can fertilize, thus interrupting the mites’ lifecycle. It is very easy for beekeepers to use. Just one frame per beehive needs to be swapped for a ‘MiteNot’ frame.
Eco-conscious and well-engineered, ‘MiteNot’ is housed within a frame and wax covered compostable circuit board. The circuit board is covered in wax making it undifferentiated in use and appearance compared to a standard honeycomb foundation. Beekeepers can continually reuse the ‘MiteNot’ frame and have the ability to insert a new wax covered circuit board as necessary.
Learn More
‘MiteNot’ is currently in research, development and testing. Eltopia is looking for commercial beekeepers and academic institutions to participate in additional testing. If the testing continues to be positive, Eltopia hopes to make this a simple, non-toxic way to eliminate varroa destructor mites. Eltopia is targeting market availability by fall 2015.
Download the complete project ‘MiteNot’ press release here.
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What the experts are saying
“We are confident that we will be able to bring ‘MiteNot’ to market. It will be an excellent affordable and non-toxic alternative for both commercial and hobbyist beekeepers to eliminate varroa destructor mites. Additionally, we are excited about the many potential uses for our biodegradable circuit board both in agriculture and technology.”
Will MacHugh
CEO Eltopia“Will MacHugh, Richard de Leon and the rest of the crew at Eltopia are inspired and super creative. I talk to Will about the science of honey bees and parasitic mites and he rubs his forehead for awhile, digesting what I am saying, then suggests an experiment or approach that no one else in the world has considered. He then turns to Richard and asks him to invent some electronic apparatus to test the idea, and viola, here we are testing the MiteNot idea. To save the bees, beekeepers and bee researchers need a new, non-chemical way to control mite parasites in honey bee colonies. Eltopia’s ‘MiteNot’ project is the most innovative and holds the most promise to turn the bee crisis around than any other idea that has come along in a very long time — maybe ever.”
Marla Spivak
Distinguished McKnight University Professor Apiculture/Social Insects, University of Minnesota