scholarly journals An investigation of the efficacy of hygienic behavior of various honey bee (Apis mellifera) races toward Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) mite infestation

Author(s):  
Khalid Ali Khan ◽  
Hamed A. Ghramh
Diversity ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleš Gregorc ◽  
Blair Sampson

Determining varroa mite infestation levels in honey bee colonies and the proper method and time to perform a diagnosis are important for efficient mite control. Performing a powdered sugar shake or counting mites that drop from combs and bees onto a hive bottom board are two reliable methods for sampling varroa mite to evaluate the efficacy of an acaricide treatment. This overview summarizes studies that examine the efficacy of organic acids and essential oils, mite monitoring, and brood interruption for integrated varroa mite control in organic beekeeping.


Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 510
Author(s):  
Monica Shrestha ◽  
Jakob Wegener ◽  
Ishan Gautam ◽  
Madhusudan Singh ◽  
Christoph Schwekendiek ◽  
...  

The mites Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman and Tropilaelaps mercedesae Anderson and Morgan are both serious threats to the Apis mellifera beekeeping industry. A trait frequently used in selection programs for V. destructor resistance is hygienic behavior, the selective removal of diseased/damaged brood. Here, we measured the level of association of the expression of hygienic behavior against both mites in A. mellifera, by observing whether the same individual bees would carry out the opening and removal of brood infested by the two parasites. The groups of bees showing these behaviors on cells artificially infested by either parasite showed a large overlap, making it appear likely that the two traits are at least closely coupled. Therefore, breeding for V. destructor resistance based on hygienic behavior could prepare A. mellifera populations for dealing with Tropilaelaps sp. mites, and vice versa. Using the same bioassay, we also compared the hygienic behavior of A. mellifera towards T. mercedesae to that of the Asiatic honey bee, Apis cerana. A. cerana workers eliminated a greater proportion of infested cells, which may in part explain the resistance of this bee to Tropilaelaps and the observation that Tropilaelaps reproduction on brood of this species is extremely rare.


2012 ◽  
Vol 64 (5) ◽  
pp. 1194-1199 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.A. Pinto ◽  
A. Puker ◽  
L.M.R.C. Barreto ◽  
D. Message

In Brazil, the ectoparasitic mite of bees Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman (Acari: Varroidae) remains at low levels of infestation causing no major damage. However, with the introduction and possible dominance of a new haplotype (K) of the mite, usually found in areas with high infestation rates (IR), it is necessary to monitor and select beehives that are resistant to the pest in order to avoid future problems. Several factors are listed as potentially being responsible for the dynamics of mite infestation, among which hygienic behavior (HB) stands out. In this context we sought to evaluate the HB of Africanized honey bees Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) compared with the mite IR in apiaries of two municipalities of southeastern Brazil (Taubaté and Viçosa). For the municipality of Taubaté, the average IR was 4.9% (3.4 to 5.8%), while the HB averaged 98.6% (96 to 100%). In Viçosa, the average mite IR was found to be 10.0% (5.4 to 21.0%) with an average value for HB of 57.7% (0 to 79.0%). Results from this research show that IR and HB were negatively correlated (R = -0.9627, P<0.01), suggesting that hives with higher HB have lower IR.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-75
Author(s):  
Ruchira Tiwari ◽  
Meena Dhami ◽  
Vaibhav Mathur ◽  
Brijesh Bisht

The studies to manage the honey bee bacterial European foul brood ( EFB) disease caused by Melisococcus plutonius and ectoparasitic brood mite disease caused by Varroa destructor in the colonies of Apis mellifera (L.) at different locations of Uttarakhand were conducted during 2012- 2013 by applying eco-friendly formulations i.e. spraying of cow urine (desi cow breed), plant decoctions prepared in cow urine, cow dung cake and cow dung ash powders , ajwain seed powder and compared to an antibiotic, terramycin sugar syrup and synthetic chemicals, sulphur and thymol powder with two applications in a month. The data revealed that the cow urine sprays @ 50, 75 and 100% reduced the disease infection to below detectable limit in 10 to 14 days, respectively, as terramycin treated infected colonies where only 50-55% recovery was seen in EFB infection with highest sealed worker brood areas ( SWBA) in cow urine treated honeybee colonies in comparison to terramycin and untreated colonies. Similarly, on the other hand, cow urine (100%) significantly reduced brood mite infestation (72.10%) with highest mean mite fall (48.73) and highest (SWBA) (854.00 cm2) followed by ajwain powder with reduction in brood mi te infestation(65.84%) with mite fall (46.39) and SWBA (749.00 cm2), cow dung powder with reduction in brood mite infestation (71.35%) ,mite fall ( 42.87), SWBA (682.33 cm2), , followed by cow dung ash powder, cow urine @ 25%, in comparison to plant decoctions prepared in cow urine, synthetic chemicals i.e. thymol and sulphur powder after 4 weeks of treatments. Thus, the animal origin products and ajwain powder can serve as apotential eco- friendly measure for management of honeybee diseases in A. mellifera colonies at different locations of Uttarakhand as they significantly increased sealed worker brood area without affecting the activities of workers, queen bee and bee brood in comparison to chemicals and plant decoctions.


Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 216
Author(s):  
Matthieu Guichard ◽  
Benoît Droz ◽  
Evert W. Brascamp ◽  
Adrien von Virag ◽  
Markus Neuditschko ◽  
...  

For the development of novel selection traits in honey bees, applicability under field conditions is crucial. We thus evaluated two novel traits intended to provide resistance against the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor and to allow for their straightforward implementation in honey bee selection. These traits are new field estimates of already-described colony traits: brood recapping rate (‘Recapping’) and solidness (‘Solidness’). ‘Recapping’ refers to a specific worker characteristic wherein they reseal a capped and partly opened cell containing a pupa, whilst ‘Solidness’ assesses the percentage of capped brood in a predefined area. According to the literature and beekeepers’ experiences, a higher recapping rate and higher solidness could be related to resistance to V. destructor. During a four-year field trial in Switzerland, the two resistance traits were assessed in a total of 121 colonies of Apis mellifera mellifera. We estimated the repeatability and the heritability of the two traits and determined their phenotypic correlations with commonly applied selection traits, including other putative resistance traits. Both traits showed low repeatability between different measurements within each year. ‘Recapping’ had a low heritability (h2 = 0.04 to 0.05, depending on the selected model) and a negative phenotypic correlation to non-removal of pin-killed brood (r = −0.23). The heritability of ‘Solidness’ was moderate (h2 = 0.24 to 0.25) and did not significantly correlate with resistance traits. The two traits did not show an association with V. destructor infestation levels. Further research is needed to confirm the results, as only a small number of colonies was evaluated.


2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine R. Barrs ◽  
M. Omar Ani ◽  
Kimberlyn K. Eversman ◽  
Jonathan T. Rowell ◽  
Kaira M. Wagoner ◽  
...  

BMC Genomics ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Scott Cornman ◽  
Michael C Schatz ◽  
J Spencer Johnston ◽  
Yan-Ping Chen ◽  
Jeff Pettis ◽  
...  

1999 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geraldo Moretto ◽  
Leonidas João de Mello Jr.

Different levels of infestation with the mite Varroa jacobsoni have been observed in the various Apis mellifera races. In general, bees of European races are more susceptible to the mite than African honey bees and their hybrids. In Brazil honey bee colonies are not treated against the mite, though apparently both climate and bee race influence the mite infestation. Six mixed colonies were made with Italian and Africanized honey bees. The percentage infestation by this parasite was found to be significantly lower in adult Africanized (1.69 ± 0.44) than Italian bees (2.79 ± 0.65). This ratio was similar to that found in Mexico, even though the Africanized bees tested there had not been in contact with varroa, compared to more than 20 years of the coexistence in Brazil. However, mean mite infestation in Brazil on both kinds of bees was only about a third of that found in Mexico.


2018 ◽  
pp. 83-87
Author(s):  
Marianna Takács ◽  
János Oláh

An apiary trial was conducted in 2016 August to October in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County, Nyírmada to evaluate the influence of queen’s age on the Varroa destructor-burden in the treatment colonies. Sixty colonies of bees belonging to the subspecies Apis mellifera carnica pannonica in Hunor loading hives (with 10 frames in the brood chamber/deep super) were used. The colonies were treated with amitraz and the organophosphate pesticide coumaphos active ingredients. The amitraz treatment includes 6 weeks. The coumaphos treatment with Destructor 3.2% can be used for both diagnosis and treatment of Varroasis. For diagnosis, one treatment is sufficient. For control, two treatments at an interval of seven days are required. The colonies were grouped by the age of the queen: 20 colonies with one-year-old, 20 colonies with two-year-old and 20 colonies with three-year-old queen. The mite mortality of different groups was compared. The number of fallen mites was counted at the white bottom boards. The examination of spring growth of honey bee colonies has become necessary due to the judgement of efficiency of closing treatment. The data was recorded seven times between 16th March 2017 and 19th May 2017. Data on fallen mites were subjected to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Post-Hoc Tukey-test. Statistical analysis was performed using the software of IBM SPSS (version 21.). During the first two weeks after treatments, the number of fallen mites was significantly higher in the older queen’s colonies (Year 2014). The total mite mortality after amitraz treatment in the younger queen’s colonies was lower (P<0.05) compared to the three-year-old queen’s colonies. According to Takács and Oláh (2016) although the mitemortality tendency, after the coumaphos (closing) treatment in colonies which have Year 2014 queen showed the highest rate, considering the mite-burden the colonies belongs to the average infected category. The colonial maintenance ability of three-year-old queen cannot be judged based on the influencing effect on the mite-burden. The importance of the replacement of the queen was judged by the combined effect of several factors. During the spring-growth study (16th March–19th May) was experienced in the three-year-old queen’s colonies the number of brood frames significantly lower compared to the one- and two-year-old queen’s colonies. In the study of 17th April and 19th May each of the three queen-year-groups were varied. Therefore in the beekeeping season at different times were determined the colonial maintenance ability of queens by more factors: efficiency of closing treatment in early spring, the spring-growth of bee colonies, the time of population shift (in current study, this time was identical in each queen-year), honey production (from black locust).


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