Apiculture, Entomology

Living organisms in the beehive communicate by chemical language. The study of the chemical composition of bee brood extracts and adult bees is interesting assuming as bee brood emissions could be "words" in the "dialogues" in the hive. This study proposes an analysis of the composition of worker bee brood and drone brood extracts, using different solvents. The bioassays start with GC-MS analysis of various extracts obtained by dissolving biological material (bee brood, adult bees) in different solvents (ethylic ether, hexane, pentane, aqueous solution, brine). The substances found in these extracts that could be kairomones are fatty acids (9-Octadecenoic acid and Hexadecanoic acid) and methyl ester fatty acid, 2-methyl propionic acid, hydrocarbons with long chain (Heptacosane, Octacosane). "Communication" by some of these substances will be used for the behavioural studies of the bees' enemy mite, Varroa destructor.

Colony multiplication of stingless bees, Tetragonula iridipennis, largely relies on the eduction of wild colonies from their natural nesting sites in India. During the hiving of wild colonies, colonies were destroyed with the loss of robust wild foragers and built-in storage reserves over the years. The present study was conducted to devise a technique to sustainably multiply the colonies of stingless bees from the wild colony and the colony establishment and development during the eduction process. The annexure hives provided for eduction were accepted in a shorter time (3.25 ± 1.18 days), with the construction of storage pots observed at 7.75 ± 1.59 days after hive acceptance by the bees. The movement of foragers between the wild colony and the annexure hives was noticed for 13.80 ± 4.20 days. The foragers settled in the annexure hives and started foraging after 18.20 ± 2.49 days. The advancing fronts were observed at 26.67 ± 2.58 days after the addition of the laying queen in the established annexure hives. There was a significant increase in the number of inhive workers after the queen seeding in the annexure hives. This technique is the easiest and most sustainable nondestructive way of multiplication of stingless bee colonies without loss in viability of the perennial wild colony.

Beekeeping is one of the most significant agricultural activities in Colombia, despite the lack of technological and industrial advancements in this field. Therefore, the floral offer and the quality of both honey and beeswax from hybrid and European bees were evaluated. The study was conducted at the University of Nariño's apiary (Colombia). Colonies of hybrid and European bees were used to determine the floral offer and its apicultural potential, as well as the production and quality of honey and beeswax during the period from May 2022 to February 2023. Seventeen nectariferous and polliniferous plant species were found, with the Asteraceae and Fabaceae families standing out. Differences were observed in honey production, with values of 6206 g/colony for European bees and 3971 g/colony for hybrid bees. Brix degrees of 81.0 were found for hybrid bee honey and 80.0 for European bee honey, with a pH of 4.15 in hybrid bees and 4.52 in European bees. Differences were observed in beeswax production and a good physicochemical composition (moisture <2 g/100g and 2.30 g/100g in hybrid and European bees, respectively). Microbiological results showed the absence of Salmonella and Escherichia coli <10 CFU/100g in the beeswax of both types.

Conversion of manual application to automatic operation in pig feeding enables the pig farm industry to advance into new practices. The efficiency and profitability of pig farm practices could be enhanced with improved technology. This study aims to develop, design, evaluate, and implement the IoP (Internet of Pigs): An Automatic Swine Feeder, Waterer, and Shower System for a Livestock MultiPurpose Cooperative and use it to increase livestock productivity. By implementing smart sensors and actuators, the system can gather real-time data on various environmental parameters, such as feed and water levels. Using an IoT Application, the owner can control the mobile app and monitor the level of feeds on time. This project can be used by the owners to automate pig feeding from afar which can highlight a range of issues such as feeding on time and consumption of feeds. To build the device, the developers used Arduino Nano, Esp8266 as the microcontroller, wiper motor, and motor driver to rotate the conveyor, relay to give a needed voltage in the motor, IR sensors to monitor the level of feeds, water pump to dispense water and shower, and RTC (Real-Time Clock) to control the time. Results show that the project is capable of feeding, watering, and showing the pigs in the indicated period as well as the automation and monitoring of the feeding system using a mobile application.

Ecto-parasite, varroa mite, (Varroa destructor), is the primary pest affecting the apiculture sector globally in various regions. Aim: This study examined the toxicity of nine essential oils to Apis mellifera L. and the acaricidal impact of those oils against V. destructor. Methods: The acaricidal effects of nine essential oils, extracted from plant materials were used. In the screening experiment, 10 mg of the active ingredients of the plant material extracts were prepared in an alcohol solution with concentrations of 5%, 10%, and 15%. For each type of plant extract, five female V. destructor were transferred to a Petri dish with five worker bees incubated at 70% humidity and 33℃-34℃ for 2 days, for each treatment four replicates were used compared to the control. Forty-eight hours following treatment, the number of dead and live mites was counted to determine the mortality rate. In the second assay experiment, the best five essential oils of the previous experiment were selected to reassess their effectiveness on varroa mites and honeybee workers by using a concentration of 15%. Five females of V. destructor were transferred to a Petri dish with 10 adult bees and treated with the solution of the selected oils. Five replicates and control treatments were taken for each sample simultaneously. Dead and live bees were counted for each replicate at 48 hours after treatment. Results: There were no significant differences between the concentrations used of each oil on the rate of death of mites, and its effectiveness ranged between 70.0% and 53.3% compared to the control groups. In addition, the best oil used was bitter melon, with a death rate of 80% at a concentration of 15%, while peppermint oil showed the lowest death rate of 45% at a concentration of (5%). However, all these treatments were statistically highly significant compared with the natural death rate in control (2%). In the second test, the results of the statistical analysis indicated that there were highly significant differences (P 0.05 <0.0001) in the average numbers of dead varroa mites compared to the control when using a 15% concentration of five selected oils. On the other hand, there was no statistically significant difference in the honey bee workers' mortality rate between the treatment and control groups (P 0.05 <0.3390), and it was relatively low for all treatments except the basil oil, where the bee mortality rate was 16% compared to the control (10%). Conclusion: It is clear from this experiment that bitter melon oil can be used to control varroa mites and it can be considered safe for honey bees as well as for the environment.

This experiment aimed to evaluate acaricidal activity of essential oils extracted from bitter melon (Citrullus colocynthis), thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and garlic (Allium sativum) against varroa mites (Varroa destructor), a major cause of honeybee colony loss. Twenty honeybee colonies were divided into four groups, one control group and four treatment groups. Each treatment group received 40 ml of plant extracts at a 15% concentration. Mite infestation levels were assessed using the alcohol wash method, and hive bottom boards were utilized to monitor mite drop rates. All tested essential oils were effective against mites. The efficacy rates on the adult bees were 86% for bitter melon, 85% for thyme and 78% for garlic. On the brood, the rates were slightly higher, with 96% for bitter melon, 90% for thyme and 70% for garlic. The highest mite drop rates were observed after the first application of all tested oils, with peak toxicity occurring 24 hours post-treatment. Bitter melon treatment led to weekly varroa drop rates of 52%, followed closely by thyme at 47%. The lowest drop rate was recorded with garlic oil treatment at 34%. These findings indicate that essential oil could serve as practical alternative acaricides in the management of varroa mites in apiaries.

The Egyptian honey bees, Apis mellifera lamarckii, in Egypt have been exposed to hybridization since the 1930s with other subspecies, especially Apis mellifera carnica (Carniolan bees). Current beekeeping practices are shaping the expectation that local honey bee stocks are distinct from the Egyptian subspecies, A. m. lamarckii. In this study, bee workers were collected from five queen-rearing stations located in four governorates: Gharbia, Alexandria, El-Behera, and Monufia. These samples underwent geometric morphometrics analysis to determine the subspecies they belong to with the highest probability. To achieve this, the forewings were separated and analyzed against a database that includes various honey bee subspecies found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. During sampling, workers that were accompanying bee queens were specifically selected. It is wellknown that queen-rearing stations serve as sources for new queens for most apiaries, thereby aiding in the dissemination of a particular subspecies within local apiaries in Egypt. The majority of the samples exhibited a high probability of being Carniolan bees. Some samples showed relatedness to other bee subspecies in Africa and Europe, with only one sample displaying relatedness to A. m. lamarckii. This study supports the hybrid status of the bees collected from the queen-rearing

Los autores trabajan en la Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata en la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, dentro del Centro de Investigaciones de Abejas Sociales. A través de su labor de casi 10 años de trabajo en cuanto al estudio, prevención y disminución del párasito Varroa jacobsoni, intentan formular una serie de técnicas, propuestas y respuestas para combatir la pérdida de colonias de abejas a nivel global.

Breve descripción: El libro aborda aspectos sobre la biología de Varroa destructor y sus efectos parasitarios en su hospedador, la abeja melífera. Asimismo, hace una revisión sobre los efectos indeseados de la parasitosis en las colonias de abejas, haciéndo énfasis en los procesos de resistencia por parte del ácaro a los acaricidas de síntesis y los residuos indeseados que los mismos generan en los productos de la colonia.

**Este documento es propiedad de sus autores originales, quienes poseen todos los derechos reservados sobre el contenido. La presente difusión tiene un propósito exclusivamente académico y responde a la necesidad de respaldar la investigación desarrollada en el marco de mi tesis. La publicación de este material en esta plataforma busca facilitar el acceso a fuentes relevantes para futuras referencias y citas dentro de trabajos académicos.**

The mite Varroa destructor is widely acknowledged as the most destructive threat to honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies on a global scale. Varroa mite infestations in bee colonies are intricately linked with viral infections, collaboratively leading to diminished bee populations and accelerated colony losses. Extensive research has firmly established the correlation between varroa mites and viruses, underscoring the mite’s efficiency in spreading viruses among bees and colonies. The effective control of varroa mites is expected to result in a decrease in viral infections within bee colonies. Research suggests that thermal treatments (hyperthermia) present a viable approach to combat varroa mites, with studies demonstrating the role of heat stress in reducing viral infections in affected bees. This article examines the extant literature surrounding the utilization of hyperthermia as a potential method to ameliorate the adverse impacts of varroa mites and their associated viral infections on honey bee colonies. It also outlines the thermal characteristics of these stressors. Diverse devices can be used for subjecting colonies to hyperthermia treatment, targeting mites both within and outside of brood cells. The application of thermal treatments, typically ranging between 40 and 42 °C for 1.5–3 h, as a method to reduce varroa mites and viral infections, has shown promise. Notably, the precise effectiveness of hyperthermia treatment in comparison with alternative varroa mite control measures remains uncertain within the available literature. The potential deleterious repercussions of this control mechanism on immature and mature honey bees are evaluated. Concurrently, the detrimental implications of prolonged treatment durations on colonies are discussed. Regarding viral infections, hyperthermia treatment can impact them negatively by either reducing varroa mite infestations or by inducing the production of heat shock proteins that possess potential antiviral properties. Various factors are identified as influential on hyperthermia treatment efficacy within bee colonies, including the device type and treatment duration, necessitating further empirical investigations. Additionally, this article highlights the existing gaps in the knowledge and provides insights into the prospective directions of research concerning this control method.

Honeybees naturally produced a compound called propolis gathered from diverse plant sources. Bees use propolis to build and repair their hives because of its waxy and slimy qualities, which serve as a barrier against outside intruders. It is also a well-known form of folk medicine with a diverse range of biological activities. It has also been used as a health food product in important continental nations including Asia, United States and Europe. Various databased searched in order to find published papers about propolis and its relevant properties. After a thorough evaluation, 4,140 articles were obtained, 2,472 papers in the field of pharmacology of propolis components, 834 articles on the pharmacology and medical therapeutic properties, 65 articles on the propolis component in Indian regions. Propolis is incredibly popular all over the world, but in India propolis research is not widely studied or reported. India, being a vast country, has numerous varieties of propolis differing in chemical compositions and medicinal values. This review gathers major findings on the pharmacological properties of propolis focusing on its antimicrobial, anti-tumor, ant-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties.

Four essential oils of Thyme (Thymus linearis), Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Mint (Mentha longifolia) and Formic Acid (65%) used at three concentrations (25, 50 and 100%) against Varroa destructor damaging honey bee Apis mellifera colonies in Honeybee Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan. The percentage of infestation by V. destructor on worker brood and adult workers, number of dead fallen Varroa on the sheet, per cent mite mortality and their honey yield (kg) was determined before and after the treatments in the experimental colonies. The results revealed that formic acid and the highest concentrations (100%) of tested essential oils caused effective control of Varroa mites, whereas the infestation reduction percentage with formic acid, lemon grass, thyme, mint and rosemary oils was recorded more than 96% after the end of treatments on both worker brood and adult workers. The highest total number of...

Introduction: Ardebile Propolis (bee glue) is a sticky dark-colored material that collected from living plant buds or exudates by bees, and mix it with wax and sugars. More than 180 compounds have been identified in world Propolis and many are biologically active. Flavonoids appear to be the principal components responsible for the biological activities of Propolis samples. Flavonoids are abundant, including apigenin, galangin, kaempferol,luteolin, Pinocembrin, quercitin, pinostrobin and etc. Aim: Investigation and identification of flavonoid compounds of %96 ethanolic extract of pooled Propolis samples collected from three different regions of Ardebile. Material and Methods: Ethanolic extract of pooled Propolis from three different regions of Ardebile to identified of flavonoids was analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method. Results:Ten individual flavonoid compounds were identified, and most of them indicate the chemical pattern of popular Propolis. They con...

To evaluate the acaricidal effects of some plant oils and tobacco extract on Varroa destructor mites, a study was conducted in laboratory as well as in bee hives at Honeybee Research Institute, NARC, Islamabad. In the lab experiments, clove oil and tobacco extract both proved to be equally effective against mites. The treatments were significantly effective when applied in 5% as compared to 10 and 15% concentrations. The most effective combination was clove oil and tobacco extract when used in 5% concentration for 24 h. In the field experiment all the oils/extract individually and in combinations confirmed clove oil + tobacco extract (T14) the best combination with 96.48±0.52 efficacy. The honey produced in kg was found maximum 20.5±0.29 in treatment T14. The highest number of fallen Varroa mites 381.67±24.31 was also occurred in T14 treatment and difference between the treatments was highly significant. No queens were lost and there was no adult honeybee mortality in any of the col...

Four essential oils of Thyme (Thymus linearis), Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Mint (Mentha longifolia) and Formic Acid (65%) used at three concentrations (25, 50 and 100%) against Varroa destructor damaging honey bee Apis mellifera colonies in Honeybee Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan. The percentage of infestation by V. destructor on worker brood and adult workers, number of dead fallen Varroa on the sheet, per cent mite mortality and their honey yield (kg) was determined before and after the treatments in the experimental colonies. The results revealed that formic acid and the highest concentrations (100%) of tested essential oils caused effective control of Varroa mites, whereas the infestation reduction percentage with formic acid, lemon grass, thyme, mint and rosemary oils was recorded more than 96% after the end of treatments on both worker brood and adult workers. The highest total number of...

The objective was to develop and validate a method for separation and quantification of phenolic compounds (flavonoids and phenolic acids) in twelve propolis extracts obtained by different extraction conditions using HPLC. The validation using the apigenin standard demonstrated that the method presents linearity (correlation coefficient = 0.9993), precision (relative standard deviation <5%) and accuracy (mean recovery = 99.63%) in the concentration range 15.55-124.4 µg/mL. The limit of detection was 2.10 µg/mL and the limit of quantification was 6.99 µg/mL. The developed method was validated providing certainty in the quantification of total flavonoids and phenolic acids present in the different propolis extracts. The different concentrations of propolis and alcohol levels interfere in the extraction of the active compounds of propolis, which may change its chemical composition and biological properties.

Acaricidal effect of Tagetes minuta, Heterotheca latifolia, and Eucalyptus sp. essential oils against Varroa destructor and their toxicity for Apis mellifera L. were evaluated under laboratory conditions in two assays. In the first experiment, 10 mg of plant active principles were prepared in water solution with an emulsionant at 3, 4, and 5% concentrations. For each component and to each dose, 10 females V. destructor were pulverized in a Burgerjon tower and transferred to a Petri dish with 5 bee pupae to an incubation stove at 70% RH and 33-34ºC for 3 days. Dead and alive mites were counted 12, 24, and 48 h after treatment for five replications and their controls. No significant differences were found among doses of the same component and its effectiveness varied between 63 to 84% related to the control groups. In the second assay, 100 adult bees were pulverized with 10 mg of a 5% solution of the components and placed in an incubator stove at 70% RH and 33-34ºC. Four replications and a control treatment for each sample were taken simultaneously. Dead and alive bees for each replication were counted 72 h post-treatments. There were not significant differences in bee mortality among the control groups (P>0.05) and it was relatively low for all treatments except for eucalyptol in which the bee mortality percentage was higher than 58%. It was concluded that T. minuta and H. latifolia essential oils can play an important role in an integrated pest management program to control Varroosis in honey bee colonies.

Natural medicines such as formic acid, oxalic acid, thymol and menthol have recently been used as alternative treatments against the honey bee parasitic mite varroa. The aim of this study was to observe and examine their impact on Heat Shock Proteins (HSP 70) in the brain tissues of bees. For this purpose, seven different treatment groups were created using various concentrations and administrations of formic and oxalic acid and thymol-menthol mixtures, including positive (untreated) and negative controls. The results showed that in the groups exposed to the varroa treatments, HSP 70 results were lower than those of the non-treated groups. HSP 70 results were lowest in the thymol-menthol mixture exposed group among the treated groups. We conclude that it would be more beneficial to prefer natural medicines against varroa, which lead to lower HSP 70 results which are the molecular determinants of stress. Respuestas de estré s de las abejas de la miel a tratamientos con ácidos orgánicos y aceites esenciales contra los ácaros de varroa Recientemente se han usado las medicinas naturales como el ácido fó rmico, el ácido oxálico, el timol y el mentol como tratamientos alternativos contra el ácaro varroa parásito de la abeja de la miel. El objeto de este estudio fue observar y examinar su impacto en las proteínas de estrés térmico (PET 70) en los tejidos cerebrales de las abejas. Con este propó sito, se establecieron siete grupos con diferentes tratamientos usando varias concentraciones y administraciones de las mezclas de ácido fó rmico con ácido oxálico y de timol-mentol, incluyendo controles positivo (sin tratar) y negativo. Los resultados mostraron que en los grupos expuestos a tratamientos de varroa, los niveles de PET 70 fueron más bajos que para los grupos sin tratar. Los resultados de PET 70 fueron más bajos en el grupo expuesto a la mezcla timol-mentol entre los grupos tratados. Concluimos que sería más beneficioso preferir las medicinas naturales contra la varroa, que llevan a unos resultados más bajos en las PET 70, que son los determinantes moleculares del estrés.

Natural medicines such as formic acid, oxalic acid, thymol and menthol have recently been used as alternative treatments against the honey bee parasitic mite varroa. The aim of this study was to observe and examine their impact on Heat Shock Proteins (HSP 70) in the brain tissues of bees. For this purpose, seven different treatment groups were created using various concentrations and administrations of formic and oxalic acid and thymol-menthol mixtures, including positive (untreated) and negative controls. The results showed that in the groups exposed to the varroa treatments, HSP 70 results were lower than those of the non-treated groups. HSP 70 results were lowest in the thymol-menthol mixture exposed group among the treated groups. We conclude that it would be more beneficial to prefer natural medicines against varroa, which lead to lower HSP 70 results which are the molecular determinants of stress. Respuestas de estré s de las abejas de la miel a tratamientos con ácidos orgánicos y aceites esenciales contra los ácaros de varroa Recientemente se han usado las medicinas naturales como el ácido fó rmico, el ácido oxálico, el timol y el mentol como tratamientos alternativos contra el ácaro varroa parásito de la abeja de la miel. El objeto de este estudio fue observar y examinar su impacto en las proteínas de estrés térmico (PET 70) en los tejidos cerebrales de las abejas. Con este propó sito, se establecieron siete grupos con diferentes tratamientos usando varias concentraciones y administraciones de las mezclas de ácido fó rmico con ácido oxálico y de timol-mentol, incluyendo controles positivo (sin tratar) y negativo. Los resultados mostraron que en los grupos expuestos a tratamientos de varroa, los niveles de PET 70 fueron más bajos que para los grupos sin tratar. Los resultados de PET 70 fueron más bajos en el grupo expuesto a la mezcla timol-mentol entre los grupos tratados. Concluimos que sería más beneficioso preferir las medicinas naturales contra la varroa, que llevan a unos resultados más bajos en las PET 70, que son los determinantes moleculares del estrés.

Efficacies of two miticides, Apivar â and Thymovar â , were evaluated as a fall treatment against V. destructor. The effect of treatment with miticides was further evaluated by monitoring both viral load and rate of indoor overwintering survival of colonies of European honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) in the vicinity of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Forty-five colonies were randomly assigned to three treatment groups with 15 hives per group: Group 1; 2 strips of Thymovar â (thymol); Group 2; 2 strips of Apivar â (Amitraz); and Group 3; no treatment (control). Significant decreases in the rates of colony infestation (Mites per hundred bees, MPHB) by V. destructor were observed (p < 0.05) between colonies of bees treated with Apivar â in October 2013 when compared to control colonies. Efficacy of Apivar â and Thymovar â against V. destructor after treatment for 22 days were 76.5 and 26.7%, respectively. After 22 days, concentrations of the two miticides in bees were 15.4 ng amitraz/g wet mass (wm) and 64,800 ng thymol/g wm. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the percentage of colonies infected by deformed wing virus (DWV) and Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) either before or after treatment with Apivar â or Thymovar â in October 2013 and 7 months post treatment in April 2014. Only the Apivar â treatment group showed IAPV infections in April 2014. The group treated with Apivar â exhibited a better overwintering rate of survival (93%), than hives treated with Thymovar â (67%). These results suggest volatile miticides like Thymovar â should be avoided in geographical areas with colder fall temperatures. Efectos de los tratamientos con Apivar â y Thymovar â sobre las poblaciones de V. destructor, infecciones de virus y supervivencia interior durante el invierno las colonias de abejas de la miel (Apis mellifera L.) canadiense. Se evaluó la eficacia de dos acaricidas, Apivar â y Thymovar â , como tratamiento de caída contra V. destructor. El efecto del tratamiento con acaricidas se evaluó mediante el control tanto de la carga viral como la tasa de supervivencia de hibernació n interior de las colonias de abejas europeas (Apis mellifera L.) en las proximidades de Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canadá. Se asignaron cuarenta y cinco colonias aleatoriamente a tres grupos de tratamiento con 15 colmenas por grupo: Grupo 1; 2 tiras de Thymovar â (timol); Grupo 2; 2 tiras de Apivar â (Amitraz); y el Grupo 3; ningún tratamiento (control). Se observaron disminuciones significativas en los índices de infestació n de colonias (ácaros por cien abejas, APCA) de V. destructor (P <0,05) entre las colonias de abejas tratadas con Apivar â en octubre de 2013, en comparació n con las colonias de control. La eficacia de la Apivar â y Thymovar â contra V. destructor después del tratamiento durante 22 días fueron 76,5% y 26,7%, respectivamente. Después de 22 días las concentraciones de los dos acaricidas en abejas fueron 15,4 ng amitraz / g de peso húmedo (PH) y timol 64.800 ng / g PH. No hubo diferencias significativas (P> 0,05) en el porcentaje de colonias infectadas por el virus de alas deformadas (DWV por sus siglas en inglés) y el virus israelí de la parálisis aguda (IAPV por sus siglas en inglés) ya sea antes o después del tratamiento con Apivar â o Thymovar â en octubre de 2013 y 7 meses después de la tratamiento en abril de 2014. Só lo el grupo tratado con Apivar â mostró infecciones con IAPV en abril de 2014. El grupo tratado con Apivar â exhibió una mejor tasa de supervivencia después de la hibernació n (93%), que las colmenas tratadas con Thymovar â (67%). Estos resultados sugieren que acaricidas volátiles como Thymovar â , se deben evitar en las zonas geográficas con temperaturas más frías de otoño.

Pollinator decline, driven primarily by habitat degradation, has the potential to reduce the quantity and quality of pollinator-dependent crops produced across the world. Vitellaria paradoxa, a socio-economically important tree which grows across the sub-Saharan drylands of Africa, produces seeds from which shea butter is extracted. However, the habitats in which this tree grows are threatened with degradation, potentially impacting its ability to attract sufficient pollinators and to produce seeds. The flowers of V. paradoxa are insect-pollinated, and we investigated flower visitors in six sites in southern Burkina Faso and northern Ghana and tested whether plants were capable of fruit set in the absence of pollinators. We found that the majority of flower visitors (88%) were bees, most frequently small social stingless bees (Hypotrigona gribodoi), but native honey bees (Apis mellifera adansonii) were also common visitors to flowers early in the morning. The number of fruit produce...

This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of flumethrin (Varostop ®) preparation against the honey bee parasite Varroa destructor, in an apiary located in Bursa province of Turkey, during September and November 2009. Study was covered totally 14 colonies living in Langstroth type hives which 7 of which were treatment and 7 untreated control. Varroacidal effectiveness of flumethrin (Varostop ®) was determined with Henderson-Tilton's Formula based on the difference of mite burden on bees before and after treatments at the end of four weeks. The treatment resulted a 94.9 % efficacy in infested colonies when compared with control ones and efficacy indicates that Varostop ® is effective to Varroosis in naturally infested honey bee colonies in fall season.

Varroa Destructor is one of the greatest threats to the beekeeping industry based on Apis mellifera and field studies have shown that without treatment colonies will most likely die within 2 years. Several studies have shown that Drone Brood Removal (DBR) is efficient in reducing the mite population although additional treatments are usually needed. In this study we demonstrate that with an improved drone comb, I.E a three-way comb where fresh drone cells are offered weekly, there is a high efficiency in the mite removal and with additional Lactic Acid Treatment (LAT) the mite population can be supressed to a level that allows for a healthy colony during the whole season. DBR+LAT treated colonies were compared with control colonies treated with "standard" Varroa management methods based on organic acids (Formic Acid and Oxalic Acid). The mite drop in the Control group increased 25-fold from May to end of August (prior to the Formic acid application) while that in the Test group only increased by a factor of 1,3. Since natural mite drop is a rough indicator of the total mite population it indicates that more than 90% of the expected mite population development was avoided due to the DBR+ LAT treatment. After the Control group received the Formic Acid (FA) treatment the daily average mite drop showed no significant difference between the groups although a greater variance in the control group could be noticed indicating that some control colonies retained very high mite populations. In the last week of November, when the hives were brood less, all hives received an Oxalic Acid (OA) treatment to check the final mite population which showed no significant differences between the groups. The data support that DBR + LAT treatment is a viable method for varroa management, comparable to the "standard" treatments with formic and oxalic acids. In addition, we found a positive linear correlation between daily mite drops and the total mite population in November and hence the average daily mite drops can be used to decide, on a colony-to-colony basis, whether any autumn treatment is needed or not.

Varroa Destructor is one of the greatest threats to the beekeeping industry based on Apis mellifera and field studies have shown that without treatment colonies will most likely die within 2 years. Several studies have shown that Drone Brood Removal (DBR) is efficient in reducing the mite population although additional treatments are usually needed. In this study we demonstrate that with an improved drone comb, I.E a three-way comb where fresh drone cells are offered weekly, there is a high efficiency in the mite removal and with additional Lactic Acid Treatment (LAT) the mite population can be supressed to a level that allows for a healthy colony during the whole season. DBR+LAT treated colonies were compared with control colonies treated with "standard" Varroa management methods based on organic acids (Formic Acid and Oxalic Acid). The mite drop in the Control group increased 25-fold from May to end of August (prior to the Formic acid application) while that in the Test group only increased by a factor of 1,3. Since natural mite drop is a rough indicator of the total mite population it indicates that more than 90% of the expected mite population development was avoided due to the DBR+ LAT treatment. After the Control group received the Formic Acid (FA) treatment the daily average mite drop showed no significant difference between the groups although a greater variance in the control group could be noticed indicating that some control colonies retained very high mite populations. In the last week of November, when the hives were brood less, all hives received an Oxalic Acid (OA) treatment to check the final mite population which showed no significant differences between the groups. The data support that DBR + LAT treatment is a viable method for varroa management, comparable to the "standard" treatments with formic and oxalic acids. In addition, we found a positive linear correlation between daily mite drops and the total mite population in November and hence the average daily mite drops can be used to decide, on a colony-to-colony basis, whether any autumn treatment is needed or not.

Experiments were made in Yaoundé to determine the effects of a Chalicodoma cincta cincta Fabricius 1871 visit on the pollination and the productivity of cowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. 1843. Two treatments for each experiment were used on 40 randomly-selected plants each. These included Autonomous Self-Pollination (ASP) with flowers from which insects visit, with airborne pollen flow excluded (treatments 1 and 3), flowers that received a single bee visit (SBV) of C. cincta cincta (treatments 2 and 4). This wild bee mainly foraged for nectar and pollen resources. The mean foraging speed was 10.82 flowers/min and the duration of visits was 13.35 sec to collect nectar and pollen. All flowers produced pod with or without insect visits. Chalicodoma cincta cincta was effective pollinator, and of course their visits increased pod production (fruiting rate), number of seeds (number of seeds/pod) and normal seed (percentage of normal seed). Chalicodoma cincta cincta foraging resulted in a significant increment of the fruiting rate by 31.98 %, as well as the number of seeds/pod by 30.76 % and the percentage of normal seeds by 15.27 % in Yaoundé-Cameroon. Conservation of C. cincta cincta nests close to V. unguiculata fields could be recommended to increase pod and seed production in the region.

The Caraway, Carum carvi essential oil was assessed to behave as natural control of bee parasitic mite, Varroa destructor during fall season instead of chemicals methods. Caraway oil (100%) was used and compared to the synthetic acaricide; Apistan. The number of fallen mites and infestation percentages on both adult and brood were estimated regarding the effects of essential oil on honeybees Apis mellifera. The essential oil from C. carvi seeds were extracted by hydro distillation and characterized by GC/MS. Sixteen compounds were identified representing; 97.33% of the oil. The predominant components were Limonene (38.81%), Carvone (35.43 %), α-Myrcene (7.3%), Dihydrocarvone (5.58%) and Limonene oxide (5.13%). The infestation reduction percentages, recorded with Caraway oil, reached 84.42% and 70.65% on adult and brood workers after 21 days of treatments with no statistical difference with Apistan. The mean numbers of fallen Varroa mites were (67.67) and (74.65) in hives treated by essential oil and Apistan, respectively. The immune response of honeybee workers and pupa revealed significant elevation in phenol oxidase activity with Caraway oil however, remarkable inhibition in the enzyme activity observed with workers exposed to Apistan. The comet assay performed on worker honeybee as a biomarker of DNA damage; revealed statistically significant increase in DNA damage caused with Apistan (20.1%) and infested bee (21.64 %) compared to corresponding one treated with Caraway essential oil (12.4%) and control (9.6%). Caraway essential oil proved a safe way as natural controlling of Varoaa destructive with keep guard of honeybee social life and fit into IPM programs

Acaricidal effect of Tagetes minuta, Heterotheca latifolia, and Eucalyptus sp. essential oils against Varroa destructor and their toxicity for Apis mellifera L. were evaluated under laboratory conditions in two assays. In the first experiment, 10 mg of plant active principles were prepared in water solution with an emulsionant at 3, 4, and 5% concentrations. For each component and to each dose, 10 females V. destructor were pulverized in a Burgerjon tower and transferred to a Petri dish with 5 bee pupae to an incubation stove at 70% RH and 33-34ºC for 3 days. Dead and alive mites were counted 12, 24, and 48 h after treatment for five replications and their controls. No significant differences were found among doses of the same component and its effectiveness varied between 63 to 84% related to the control groups. In the second assay, 100 adult bees were pulverized with 10 mg of a 5% solution of the components and placed in an incubator stove at 70% RH and 33-34ºC. Four replications and a control treatment for each sample were taken simultaneously. Dead and alive bees for each replication were counted 72 h post-treatments. There were not significant differences in bee mortality among the control groups (P>0.05) and it was relatively low for all treatments except for eucalyptol in which the bee mortality percentage was higher than 58%. It was concluded that T. minuta and H. latifolia essential oils can play an important role in an integrated pest management program to control Varroosis in honey bee colonies.

Propolis is a natural product produced by honeybees. It has antioxidant effects as well as antimicrobial, antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antimutagenic properties. Except these important healthy properties some cytotoxic effects causing allergies also have been reported. In this study have been evaluated changes of phenolic compounds including allergens molecules found in propolis. Before biotransformation, propolis samples were treated with different solvent (ethanol and polyethylene glycol) to facilitate solvation of solid samples. Biotransformation was done by three different strains of Lactobacillus plantarum (10, 8014, ATCC). Results demonstrated the importance of used solvent/treatment for extraction procedure and strains of L. plantrum. The lowest values of main allergens were determined as 321 ng/mL for BCAFE, 320 ng/mL for 1.1 DMAECAFE and 8.02 ng/mL for CAPE. The study is the first work deal with evaluation of bioconversion of propolis by different L. plantarum strains and their effects on phenolic profile.

Natural medicines such as formic acid, oxalic acid, thymol and menthol have recently been used as alternative treatments against the honey bee parasitic mite varroa. The aim of this study was to observe and examine their impact on Heat Shock Proteins (HSP 70) in the brain tissues of bees. For this purpose, seven different treatment groups were created using various concentrations and administrations of formic and oxalic acid and thymol-menthol mixtures, including positive (untreated) and negative controls. The results showed that in the groups exposed to the varroa treatments, HSP 70 results were lower than those of the non-treated groups. HSP 70 results were lowest in the thymol-menthol mixture exposed group among the treated groups. We conclude that it would be more beneficial to prefer natural medicines against varroa, which lead to lower HSP 70 results which are the molecular determinants of stress. Respuestas de estré s de las abejas de la miel a tratamientos con ácidos orgánicos y aceites esenciales contra los ácaros de varroa Recientemente se han usado las medicinas naturales como el ácido fó rmico, el ácido oxálico, el timol y el mentol como tratamientos alternativos contra el ácaro varroa parásito de la abeja de la miel. El objeto de este estudio fue observar y examinar su impacto en las proteínas de estrés térmico (PET 70) en los tejidos cerebrales de las abejas. Con este propó sito, se establecieron siete grupos con diferentes tratamientos usando varias concentraciones y administraciones de las mezclas de ácido fó rmico con ácido oxálico y de timol-mentol, incluyendo controles positivo (sin tratar) y negativo. Los resultados mostraron que en los grupos expuestos a tratamientos de varroa, los niveles de PET 70 fueron más bajos que para los grupos sin tratar. Los resultados de PET 70 fueron más bajos en el grupo expuesto a la mezcla timol-mentol entre los grupos tratados. Concluimos que sería más beneficioso preferir las medicinas naturales contra la varroa, que llevan a unos resultados más bajos en las PET 70, que son los determinantes moleculares del estrés.

Propolis is a resinous substance produced by bees with a wide range of medicinal uses. It is collected by bees from buds, leaves and bark exudates of several plants in both tropical and temperate regions. Propolis is sometimes referred to as "bee glue" as it is produced by bees for sealing and protection of their hives. Exploration and research into propolis and its biologically active constituents is increasing. Bee farming has become a popular commercial venture in several Nigerian communities and propolis which is a by-product of the bee hive is increasingly being produced and wasted as the economic benefits are completely unknown to the farmers or bee keepers. Propolis production has proven to be economically viable and sustainable. Phytochemical investigations of propolis had yielded several biologically active compounds which are potential drug candidates. This review examines local production and under-exploitation of propolis as a potential source of sustainable wealth creation in Nigeria.

The parasitic mite Varroa destructor is amongst the most serious problems of honey bees, Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) around the world including Pakistan. The present study estimates the mite density through powdered sugar roll method and evaluates the effectiveness of five miticides (fluvalinate, flumethrin, amitraz, formic acid, and oxalic acid) on A. mellifera colonies in German modified beehives. The results indicated that by treating the bees with one strip and two strips of fluvalinate per colony; the mite population remained below the economic threshold level (ETL) for 14 days and 25 days, respectively. Treatment of flumthrin @1 strip and @ 2 strips per colony resulted in mite population suppressed for 14 days and 39 days, respectively below ETL. Application of Amitraz @ 2 mL per 1.5 L water after every three days interval on sealed brood effectively controlled mites below ETL for 21 days. Formic acid @10 mL per colony applied through plastic applicator proved effective (below 3 mites per bee sample) for 24 days and oxalic acid applied through shop towel method resulted in mite population control for fifteen days. Use of powdered sugar roll method for easy sampling of Varroa mites and application of acaricides on precise economic threshold level during different seasons of the year for integrated management of Varroa mite is hereby advocated by current studies.

Honey bee colonies, Apis mellifera intermissa in particular, are affected by Varroa destructor mites which threaten their existence. Several chemical treatments are used, but the parasite has become resistant to them. In recent years, plant origin substances have been used as a natural alternative means for combating the parasite. In this study, the acaricidal effect of propolis is evaluated in the laboratory. Seven Varroa mites were placed on filter paper (3 ×3cm) in petri dishes. Subsequently, the filter paper was impregnated with a dose of 0.2 ml (200 µl) of the propolis and ethanol solution. Four repetitions were carried out with a control without tre atment. The results showed that propolis extract with 70% ethanol (EEP) is highly toxic against Va rroa. The mortality rates of the Varroa mite were 40% to 100% after 30 and 120 minutes of exposure, respectively. On the other hand, treating mites with 100 mg of propolis powder showed mortality rates of 20% to 100% after 12 to 24 hours of exposure. Final ly, when bees were exposed to EEP or propolis powder, they were not affected by the treatment.

Humulus lupulus, commonly known as hops has widely been used in breweries globally, however, the acaricidal properties of H. lupulus derived products could also be a novel and interesting avenue of study against insect pests. We tested the antiparasitic activity of H. lupulus essential oils against the honeybee mite Varroa destructor, and its bioactivity against the honeybee Apis mellifera. The hop varieties used in this study were Cascade, Victoria, Spalt, and Mapuche. The essential oils were extracted from flowers by hydrodistillation and then characterized by CG-MS. We evaluated the toxicity of hop essential oils against mites, adult bees (A. mellifera) and larvae, and whether the oils were an attractant or repellent to mites. The major components of the oils for all varieties were β-myrcene, myrcene, beta-farnesene, alpha, and beta cariophylene. Bioassays revealed that essential oils from all the varieties were toxic to the V. destructor mite. Victoria essential oil was the most toxic to V. destructor. The oils did not act as a repellent or attractant to the mites, and the bee (A. mellifera) mortality associated with complete exposure to the essential oil application was moderate to low. The results presented here provide promising results for the application of essential oils from hops grown in South America as an alternative method for controlling the honeybee mite Varroa destructor.

The effect of several volatile plant oils, plant materials and fluvalinate (Apistan®) strips on the control of the mite Varroa destructor on honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies was studied. The volatile oils were: clove, lavender, peppermint, sage, and thyme. The plant materials were: cumin fruits, eucalyptus leaves, and worm wood flowers. For each tested material, three treatment periods were carried out. Each period lasted for 24 days followed by eight days no-treatment. Within each treatment period, an average of three to six treatments were applied. Dead mites were counted one hour before and after each treatment. An increase in dead mites was recorded for the three treatment periods. It indicated that worm wood flowers, peppermint oil and clove oil treatments gave the best results in the control of Varroa mites but not significantly different than the control. The overall increase in the dead mites was 3.92, 3.62 and 3.34 fold, respectively. 

During 2007 and 2008, natural mite mortality was recorded in honey bee colonies. These colonies were then treated with various acaricides against Varroa destructor and acaricide efficacies were evaluated. In 2007, experimental colonies were treated with flumethrin and/or oxalic acid and in 2008 the same colonies were treated with flumethrin, oxalic acid or amitraz. The efficacy of flumethrin in 2007 averaged 73.62% compared to 70.12% for three oxalic acid treatments. In 2008, a reduction of 12.52% in mite numbers was found 4 weeks after flumethrin application, while 4 oxalic acid applications produced significantly higher (P &lt; 0.05) mite mortality, an average of 24.13%. Four consecutive amitraz fumigations produced a 93.82% reduction on average in final mite numbers and thus ensure normal colony development and overwintering. The study is important in order to demonstrate that synthetic acaricides should be constantly re-evaluated and the use of flumethrin at low efficacies need ...

Varroa destructor is a well-known ectoparasite of the honey bee Apis mellifera. Amitraz and fluvalinate are highly effective miticides used against V. destructor infestation in colonies of honey bee A. mellifera. Though honey bees more resistant to miticides, there are side effects of these chemicals on the reproduction, olfaction, and honey production of honey bees. We showed a negative impact of miticides amitraz and fluvalinate on honey production and reproduction of honey bee colonies. Also, we assumed the reduction of olfaction of honey bees by fluvalinate due to changes of expression of olfactory related neuropeptide genes short neuropeptide F sNPF, tachykinin TK, short neuropeptide F receptor sNPFR. The external treatment of honey bee colonies by miticides amitraz and fluvalinate along with a positive effect of pest control harms reproductivity, honey productivity, and, probably, can reduce learning and memory, gustation and olfaction of honey bees. When used for a short time...

From late autumn until the end of winter conditions, bees are exposed to many stress factors including low air temperature and several pathogens. This study aimed to estimate the effects of three commercial materials (acetylsalicylic acid, Echinacea purpurea extract, and vitamin (C) mixed with sugar feeding on some parameters related to stress tolerance using laboratory and field tests. The laboratory tests supported the potential role of vitamin C and Echinacea purpurea extract to enhance the tolerance ability of bees to low temperatures. The most promising results for the recovery time of bees after exposure to low temperatures, survival rates after narcosis, and hemocyte count were recorded with these two materials. After winter the strength of bee colonies fed on sugar feeding mixed with vitamin C and Echinacea purpurea extract were approximately equal to the strength before winter. However, the contrary was obtained with acetylsalicylic acid and the control group. Thus, using vitamin C or Echinacea purpurea extract as safe additives can boost the survival of bee colonies during the winter period.

Background: Honey bees are one of the most important and efficient insect pollinators of food crops on earth providing honey, bee wax, bee pollen, royal jelly, propolis, etc. Varroa destructor is the most obnoxious pest of honey bees infliciting damage to the colony vis-à-vis transmitting viral diseases. The repeated use of synthetic acaricidal treatment results in developing resistance against varroa mite followed by residue hazards in bee products. This leads to an urgent need to develop alternate eco-friendly methods to manage the pest. Methods: The experiment was designed to evaluate the relative efficiency of six botanical extracts viz. Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), Coleus (Coleus aromaticus), Sweet flag (Acorus calamus L.), Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum L.) and goat weed (Ageratun conezoides L.) against Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) under laboratory conditions. After preliminary dose-setting experiments, mites and honeybees were exposed to 2% ethanol extracts of the plants, with 24 hours' exposure time. Result: 2% concentration of Coleus, Sweet flag and Tulsi registered cent percent mortality of mites within 24 hours after treatment followed by turmeric (93.33%), sweet basil (86.67%) and goat weed (80%). All the extracts exhibited <30% mortality of honey bees (Apis cerana indica) whereas turmeric showed the lowest efficiency (14.29%).

Meliponiculture (keeping stingless bees) is a practice that is growing rapidly in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. A limited number of studies regarding the technique would be most accurate in propagating the colonies to increase their numbers. Three different artificial propagation techniques were investigated in Ladang 10, Universiti Putra Malaysia. Three artificial propagation techniques, namely splitting, bridging, and splitting bridging, were conducted for eight consecutive weeks. Honey pot quantity and pollen pot quantity were recorded weekly for eight consecutive weeks. The success of colony division under different artificial propagation techniques and all the parameters taken were observed and recorded weekly. A significant difference (F = 15.04, df = 2, P = <.0001) was detected in the number of pollen pots between the different artificial propagation techniques, but not for the honey pot quantity (F = 0.22, df = 2, P = 0.8054). The bridging technique recorded the lowest pollen pot quantity while there was no significant difference in splitting and splitting-bridging techniques. The result showed that the splitting technique obtained new brood cells and queen of Heterotrigona itama. The splitting-bridging technique developed new brood cells without a new queen, whereas the bridging technique produced only pollen and honey pots. A matured queen's presence can defeat the artificial propagation technique due to its pheromones function.

Studies were carried out at the Bee garden, Department of Plant Protection, Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tiruchirappalli to investigate the effect of powdered sugar spreading on the mite (Varroa jacobsoni Oudemans) management and brood development of the Indian honey bee (Apis cerana indica F.). Use of acaricides and other chemicals for management of Varroa mite has numerous side effects on the honey bees, bee products and consumers. Dusting of honey bees with powdered sugar is considered as safer mechanical method but intensive use of dusting or spraying over bees is not recommended. Hence, in this investigation was made to test the effect of powdered sugar spreading over the screened bottom board against powdered sugar dusting. However, the number of Varroa mite found on the adult worker bees had no significant difference between the treated (0.35 ± 0.10/ 50 workers) and untreated colonies (0.61 ± 0.08/ 50 workers).

For the effective management of economically and ecologically valuable tree species, it is crucial to understand pollination and resource allocation particularly in biotic pollinated species. Gmelina arborea Roxb. growing in moist tropical forest of Indo-Burma region has high economic value for the pulp and paper, quality timber, medicines and a valuable component of agroforestry systems. We studied floral morphology, pollinating vectors and the reproductive potential of the species in natural forest during the flowering and fruiting seasons (March-June) of the years 2012 and 2013, which covered about one month period in each year. Floral morphometric traits, pollinating vectors, pollination and fruit formation were observed during the flowering season on ten randomly selected individuals within the population. Floral characters exhibited strong adaptations towards entomophily with emerging adaptation towards ornithophily. G arborea flowers were mainly visited by two legitimate functional groups of pollinators' i.e. insects (e.g. Xylocopa violacea, Amegilla cingulata, Mylabris pustulata) and five birds species belonging to 2 families of order Passeriformes. Additionally, one species of squirrel (Callosciurus pygerthus) was noted to legitimately foraging the flowers. Xylocopa violacea ascertained highest visiting frequency over other pollinators. Xylcopa bee also exhibited high level of functional synchronization with floral morphology of G. arborea and ascertained as most important pollinator in the study region. However, long billed trait of passerines birds were important determinant for the bird species to act as potential pollinators in the species. Ornithophilic adaptation in G. arborea is key feature of the species to attract the birds and facilitates reproductive effort. There is significant role of both flower and pollen production (resource allocation) and availability of pollinating vectors (pollination limitation) in reproductive success. G. arborea shall be vital for insects and birds conservation through providing floral resources in natural forest and agroforestry land setting.

In this study, the effectiveness of combining various biotechnical methods with thymol was investigated against the mite, Varroa destructor during late summer. Experimental colonies were randomly selected and six study groups were formed with nine colonies in each group. Experimental colonies were created as follows: colonies of renewed queen bees (RQ); colonies in which the queen is trapped on one comb, but worker bees can come and go to carry out their duties (CT); colonies in which ten grams of powdered thymol was added to 90 g of the bee cake, and 100 g of the bee cake with thymol was applied to the colonies (TY); colonies in which the requeen method plus the thymol method were used (RQ+TY); colonies in which the comb trapping method plus the thymol method were used (CT+TY); and untreated control colonies (CC). During the late summer period, the mite infestation level, sealed brood areas, bee population, and effectiveness of applications were determined in the groups. There was no significant difference in the infestation rate, sealed brood areas, and bee populations in the treatment groups before brood interruption. The efficacy of the requeen method, the comb trapping method, the thymol method, the requeen plus thymol method, and comb trapping plus other groups against V. destructor infestation were 40.23, 39.76, 80.45, 98.28 and 97.93%, respectively. These results showed that combining biotechnical methods with thymol is a safe, easy and effective alternative to late summer therapy against V. destructor.

Four essential oils of Thyme (Thymus linearis), Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Mint (Mentha longifolia) and Formic Acid (65%) used at three concentrations (25, 50 and 100%) against Varroa destructor damaging honey bee Apis mellifera colonies in Honeybee Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan. The percentage of infestation by V. destructor on worker brood and adult workers, number of dead fallen Varroa on the sheet, per cent mite mortality and their honey yield (kg) was determined before and after the treatments in the experimental colonies. The results revealed that formic acid and the highest concentrations (100%) of tested essential oils caused effective control of Varroa mites, whereas the infestation reduction percentage with formic acid, lemon grass, thyme, mint and rosemary oils was recorded more than 96% after the end of treatments on both worker brood and adult workers. The highest total number of...

Acaricidal effect of Tagetes minuta, Heterotheca latifolia, and Eucalyptus sp. essential oils against Varroa destructor and their toxicity for Apis mellifera L. were evaluated under laboratory conditions in two assays. In the first experiment, 10 mg of plant active principles were prepared in water solution with an emulsionant at 3, 4, and 5% concentrations. For each component and to each dose, 10 females V. destructor were pulverized in a Burgerjon tower and transferred to a Petri dish with 5 bee pupae to an incubation stove at 70% RH and 33-34ºC for 3 days. Dead and alive mites were counted 12, 24, and 48 h after treatment for five replications and their controls. No significant differences were found among doses of the same component and its effectiveness varied between 63 to 84% related to the control groups. In the second assay, 100 adult bees were pulverized with 10 mg of a 5% solution of the components and placed in an incubator stove at 70% RH and 33-34ºC. Four replications and a control treatment for each sample were taken simultaneously. Dead and alive bees for each replication were counted 72 h post-treatments. There were not significant differences in bee mortality among the control groups (P>0.05) and it was relatively low for all treatments except for eucalyptol in which the bee mortality percentage was higher than 58%. It was concluded that T. minuta and H. latifolia essential oils can play an important role in an integrated pest management program to control Varroosis in honey bee colonies.

Varroa destructor is the main health problem in Western beekeeping. The quantification of this mite in beehives is an important factor in veterinary inspections and for beekeepers to apply treatments, monitor their success, or assess varroa mite control efforts. In this paper were evaluate different diagnostic methods to quantify mite population levels in beehives: i) mites dislodged with sugar powder and with ethyl alcohol from adult bees samples brushed from honey combs and from brood combs, ii) mites removed from worker brood cells and iii) mite fallen on a screening bottom board for a period of four days. Recording the number of mites that fell naturally onto the screened bottom board was the only method that showed a significant correlation with the total number of varroa in beehives. Quantification in adult bee samples or bee brood samples can only be used for indicative diagnoses. Sugar powder only dislodge a third of the mites from adult bees.

The synergistic interactions between the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor and Deformed wing virus (DWV) lead to the reduction in lifespan of the European honey bee Apis mellifera and often have been implicated in colony losses worldwide. However, to date, the underlying processes and mechanisms that form the multipartite interaction between the bee, mite, and virus have not been fully explained. To gain a better understanding of honey bees’ defense response to Varroa mite infestation and DWV infection, the DWV titers and transcription profiles of genes originating from RNAi, immunity, wound response, and homeostatic signaling pathways were monitored over a period of eight days. With respect to DWV, we observed low viral titers at early timepoints that coincided with high levels of Toll pathway transcription factor Dorsal, and its downstream immune effector molecules Hymenoptaecin, Apidaecin, Abaecin, and Defensin 1. However, we observed a striking increase in viral titers beginn...

Humulus lupulus, commonly known as hops has widely been used in breweries globally, however, the acaricidal properties of H. lupulus derived products could also be a novel and interesting avenue of study against insect pests. We tested the antiparasitic activity of H. lupulus essential oils against the honeybee mite Varroa destructor, and its bioactivity against the honeybee Apis mellifera. The hop varieties used in this study were Cascade, Victoria, Spalt, and Mapuche. The essential oils were extracted from flowers by hydrodistillation and then characterized by CG-MS. We evaluated the toxicity of hop essential oils against mites, adult bees (A. mellifera) and larvae, and whether the oils were an attractant or repellent to mites. The major components of the oils for all varieties were β-myrcene, myrcene, beta-farnesene, alpha, and beta cariophylene. Bioassays revealed that essential oils from all the varieties were toxic to the V. destructor mite. Victoria essential oil was the most toxic to V. destructor. The oils did not act as a repellent or attractant to the mites, and the bee (A. mellifera) mortality associated with complete exposure to the essential oil application was moderate to low. The results presented here provide promising results for the application of essential oils from hops grown in South America as an alternative method for controlling the honeybee mite Varroa destructor.

The Caraway, Carum carvi essential oil was assessed to behave as natural control of bee parasitic mite, Varroa destructor during fall season instead of chemicals methods. Caraway oil (100%) was used and compared to the synthetic acaricide; Apistan. The number of fallen mites and infestation percentages on both adult and brood were estimated regarding the effects of essential oil on honeybees Apis mellifera. The essential oil from C. carvi seeds were extracted by hydro distillation and characterized by GC/MS. Sixteen compounds were identified representing; 97.33% of the oil. The predominant components were Limonene (38.81%), Carvone (35.43 %), α-Myrcene (7.3%), Dihydrocarvone (5.58%) and Limonene oxide (5.13%). The infestation reduction percentages, recorded with Caraway oil, reached 84.42% and 70.65% on adult and brood workers after 21 days of treatments with no statistical difference with Apistan. The mean numbers of fallen Varroa mites were (67.67) and (74.65) in hives treated by essential oil and Apistan, respectively. The immune response of honeybee workers and pupa revealed significant elevation in phenol oxidase activity with Caraway oil however, remarkable inhibition in the enzyme activity observed with workers exposed to Apistan. The comet assay performed on worker honeybee as a biomarker of DNA damage; revealed statistically significant increase in DNA damage caused with Apistan (20.1%) and infested bee (21.64 %) compared to corresponding one treated with Caraway essential oil (12.4%) and control (9.6%). Caraway essential oil proved a safe way as natural controlling of Varoaa destructive with keep guard of honeybee social life and fit into IPM programs

This study examined the toxicity of anethole and that of the essential oils of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and sweet marigold (Tagetes lucida) to the mite Varroa destructor and to honey bee workers and larvae. Anethole was the most toxic compound to V. destructor (LC50: 304.9 μg/ml), whereas Tagetes oil was the least toxic (LC50: 1256.27 μg/ml). The most and least toxic compounds to worker bees were anethole and Tagetes oil with LD50s of 35942 and 85381 μg/ml, respectively. For larvae, Tagetes oil was the most toxic compound (LD50: 9580.7 μg/ml) and anethole the least toxic (LD50: 14518.0 μg/ml). Anethole and Cymbopogon oil had the highest selectivity ratios. The expression of AChE, a gene that regulates the production of acetyl cholinesterase, a detoxifying enzyme, was not altered in bees treated with the plant compounds at 48 h post-treatment. This study showed that anethole and Cymbopogon oil have potential for controlling Varroa mites and seem to be relatively safe for larv...