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Independent Field Test
Randy Oliver Put It
To The Test.
One of beekeeping’s most rigorous testers ran ThermaHive in his own apiary. Here’s the full picture: what worked, what didn’t last, and what we’re changing because of it.
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ThermaHive
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Randy Oliver’s Results
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Last time, we promised Randy Oliver’s results. Here they are, numbers and all.
Hello from the ThermaHive team, and a warm welcome to everyone who’s joined us since our last letter. Here’s what’s new since then:
- • Randy Oliver ran his first ThermaHive treatments in his California apiary
- • V2 is no longer a pre-order: kits now ship within 4 to 6 weeks of purchase
- • Apimaye users: we now offer a free bottom box customization with every V2 Complete Kit
- • Our samples from the National Honey Bee Survey visit are still at the University of Maryland, with lab results expected in November
Catch us next at the Maryland State Beekeepers Association meeting on November 14th, or at our booth at NAHBE 2027 in Louisville, KY, from January 7th to 9th, 2027.
Now, on to Randy. When we sat down with him in September, he agreed to test ThermaHive in his own operation, on his own terms. He doesn’t hand out easy praise, which is exactly why we asked. His results are his own, and we’re sharing them as they came in.
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Independent Testing
How Randy Tested ThermaHive
ThermaHive V2 on one of Randy’s test hives
Randy is a commercial beekeeper and biologist, known to many through ScientificBeekeeping.com and his varroa model. He tested ThermaHive V2 the same way he evaluates any treatment: count the mites falling onto a sticky board for a few days to get a baseline, run the treatment, keep counting daily for two weeks or more, and run alcohol washes along the way.
He tested two very different colonies: a strong double he calls Hive A, and a smaller medium double, Hive B.
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Hive A
One Treatment, a Big Knockdown
Before treatment, Hive A was dropping about 100 mites a day. On September 29th, Randy ran a single ThermaHive treatment. That day, 956 mites dropped, roughly nine times the hive’s normal rate, followed by another 397 and 231 over the next two days.
Mites Dropped, Treatment Day
956
vs. about 100 per day before
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Mite Wash, About 10 Days Later
19 → 5
mites per alcohol wash
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A sticky board from Randy’s test, after treatment
Then the mites came back. By about day 20, Hive A’s wash count had climbed back to where it started.
Est. Mite Population Reduction
50–60%
of the hive’s mites, from one treatment (Randy’s model)
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Why Only One Treatment?
That was deliberate. Randy wanted to answer the question that matters most for any heat treatment: does it kill or sterilize the mites sealed inside capped brood? The way to find out is to treat once and keep counting for at least two weeks. If the brood mites survive, the infestation rebounds as they emerge with the new bees, and in Hive A, it did.
His varroa model suggests that single treatment cut Hive A’s total mite population by roughly 50 to 60 percent, with the infestation back at its starting level in about 20 days. If that holds, he expects that treating on a monthly schedule would keep mite growth in check.
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Hive B
A Smaller Colony, Results Still Coming In
Hive B, the smaller of the two, got its first treatment on September 30th. Its mite wash fell from 45 to 13 the next day, and it read 11 after a second treatment on October 10th.
Mite Wash, Before
45
September 30
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Mite Wash, After
13
the day after treatment
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A caveat: airflow in the unit was partly blocked during Hive B’s first treatment, so we’re reading that run with caution. Randy is still collecting Hive B’s final counts, and we’ll share them as soon as they’re in. |
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What It Means
The Brood Is Where the Battle Is
One treatment knocks down a lot of mites, fast. But Randy’s test shows why a single treatment isn’t a season-long fix: the mites hiding in capped brood decide whether a hive stays clean.
It lines up with what we saw this season. In our last letter, our North Carolina tester’s back-to-back treatments, run 7 to 14 days apart, outperformed single treatments. And across our own research apiaries, where hives were treated repeatedly through the season, we lost zero treated colonies across 20 hives.
We’re using Randy’s data to sharpen our recommended treatment schedule for next season. He’s also hoping to test one more high-mite hive before his colonies shut down brood rearing for the winter.
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Now Shipping
V2 Ships in
4 to 6 Weeks.
No more pre-orders and no more waiting until January. Order a V2 Complete Kit today and it ships within 4 to 6 weeks of purchase.
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Complete Kit
$749.99
or pay over time
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Ships In
4–6 Weeks
from purchase
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Warranty
Lifetime
on ThermaHive units
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What’s in the Kit
- • Bottom box frame with the magnetic heater insert
- • Removable diffuser board
- • Two wireless hive sensors
- • Power cord and SD card for logging every treatment
Free pickup at NAHBE 2027. Heading to Louisville, KY, January 7th to 9th? Choose the free NAHBE pickup option at checkout and grab your kit at our booth, no shipping cost.
Pay in full, or over time with Klarna, Affirm or Afterpay at checkout.
Outside the US and Canada?
The V2 Complete Kit, International 230V, is built for 220 to 240V mains power. It’s built to order with a 50% deposit and ships 4 to 6 weeks after your order.
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Apimaye Users
ThermaHive Works With Apimaye Hives
ThermaHive is Apimaye compatible, and we’re now offering a free customization for Apimaye users with every V2 Complete Kit. We add a piece of wood to both long sides of the bottom box, giving the Apimaye base a more stable platform to sit on.
When you treat, remove the collection tray and use a little tape to block any gaps, as in the photo below.
ThermaHive on an Apimaye hive, gaps taped for treatment
The free Apimaye customization: an added piece of wood on each long side of the bottom box
To get it, just add a note at checkout letting us know you’re an Apimaye user. We’ll take care of the rest. |
Thank You, Randy
For putting ThermaHive through a real test, on his own time and in his own hives, and for telling us exactly what he found. That kind of honesty is how this gets better.
And thank you to every one of you reading this, new and longtime, for following along. Questions about the results or your own hives? Just reply. We read every one.
info@thermahive.net • (410) 417-7339 • thermahive.net
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