Varroa destructor (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) electrophysiological activity towards common yarrow (Asteraceae) essential oil and its components

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Michael Light ◽  
Nicoletta Faraone ◽  
Dave Shutler ◽  
G. Christopher Cutler ◽  
N. Kirk Hillier

Abstract Essential oils produced by plants are a rich source of metabolites that can have toxic or behaviour-modifying effects on arthropods. Some essential oils have shown promise in management of the mite Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman (Mesostigmata: Varroidae), a parasite of western honey bees, Apis mellifera Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Essential oil and its components from common yarrow, Achillea millefolium Linnaeus (Asteraceae), are reported to have both insecticidal and repellent properties for other arthropod pests and may have activity against V. destructor. Here, we evaluate responses of V. destructor towards common yarrow essential oil using gas chromatography paired with electrotarsal detection. We identified 38 essential oil components that elicited electrophysiological responses from V. destructor. Components of common yarrow essential oil identified as electrophysiologically active in this study are reported elsewhere as active components of other management strategies for V. destructor infestations (e.g., thyme oil; Thymus sp. (Lamiaceae)). Pending behavioural assessment, the efficacy of common yarrow essential oil in honey bee colonies infested by V. destructor should be explored in field conditions.


2011 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 1199-1207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jevrosima Stevanovic ◽  
Z. Stanimirovic ◽  
Nada Lakic ◽  
Nevenka Aleksic ◽  
P. Simeunovic ◽  
...  

The hygienic behavior in honey bees is a dominant natural defense mechanism against brood diseases. In this study, the influence of sugar dusting treatments on hygienic behavior was evaluated in 44 strong honey bee colonies. Three doses of pulverized sugar, 20, 30 and 40 g, each applied at three-, seven- and fourteen-day intervals were tested. The percentage of cleaned cells (PCC) in the total number of those with pin-killed brood served as a measure of the hygienic potential. The effect was dependent on the frequency of treatments: all doses applied every third and seventh day significantly (p<0.001) decreased the PCC in comparison with the untreated control colonies. Nevertheless, sugar did not threaten the hygienic potential, as PPC values remained above 94% following all treatments. Thus, it can be concluded that the tested sugar treatments are safe and can be justifiably implemented into integrated pest management strategies to control Varroa destructor.



PLoS ONE ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. e36285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Coby van Dooremalen ◽  
Lonne Gerritsen ◽  
Bram Cornelissen ◽  
Jozef J. M. van der Steen ◽  
Frank van Langevelde ◽  
...  


Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1045
Author(s):  
Marian Hýbl ◽  
Andrea Bohatá ◽  
Iva Rádsetoulalová ◽  
Marek Kopecký ◽  
Irena Hoštičková ◽  
...  

Essential oils and their components are generally known for their acaricidal effects and are used as an alternative to control the population of the Varroa destructor instead of synthetic acaricides. However, for many essential oils, the exact acaricidal effect against Varroa mites, as well as the effect against honey bees, is not known. In this study, 30 different essential oils were screened by using a glass-vial residual bioassay. Essential oils showing varroacidal efficacy > 70% were tested by the complete exposure assay. A total of five bees and five mites were placed in the Petri dishes in five replications for each concentration of essential oil. Mite and bee mortality rates were assessed after 4, 24, 48, and 72 h. The LC50 values and selectivity ratio (SR) were calculated. For essential oils with the best selectivity ratio, their main components were detected and quantified by GC-MS/MS. The results suggest that the most suitable oils are peppermint and manuka (SR > 9), followed by oregano, litsea (SR > 5), carrot, and cinnamon (SR > 4). Additionally, these oils showed a trend of the increased value of selective ratio over time. All these oils seem to be better than thymol (SR < 3.2), which is commonly used in beekeeping practice. However, the possible use of these essential oils has yet to be verified in beekeeping practice.



2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lobna El-Hosseiny ◽  
Moustafa El-Shenawy ◽  
Medhat Haroun ◽  
Fadhil Abdullah

Gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy analysis was performed to identify the chemical components of three extracted essential oils including thyme, marjoram, and sage. The antibacterial activity of the extracted essential oils against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 9027) was investigated using disc diffusion assay, either alone or in combination with standard antibiotics (piperacillin, cefepime, meropenem, gentamicin, and norfloxacin). Results showed that the studied oils exhibited a variety of activities against the tested bacterium. Thyme oil was the most active followed by marjoram oil, whereas sage displayed no activity towards the tested organism. Thyme oil enhanced the antibacterial activity of cell wall targeting antibiotics (piperacillin, cefepime, and meropenem) by more than twofold. Marjoram oil potentiated the activity of all the tested antibiotics except norfloxacin. Sage, despite its inactivity against pseudomonas, synergistically enhanced the activity of piperacillin, meropenem, and gentamicin. Thyme essential oil, containing thymol as a major component (33.6%), exhibited higher activity alone or in combination with antibiotics than marjoram which contained alcoholic terpenes or sage essential oil that contained 1,8-cineole as its major component (29%). The investigated oils, as natural bioactive agents, may be used to enhance the activity of antibiotics towards pseudomonas.



2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (01) ◽  
pp. 11-16
Author(s):  
RK Mishra ◽  
Rajalekshmi C ◽  
Fulabhai P Savaliya ◽  
Atul B Patel ◽  
Pravin M Lunagariya ◽  
...  

An experiment was conducted to assess the effects of thyme and peppermint essential oils (EO) as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoter (AGP) on the performance of broiler chicken. Total 256 day-old Vencobb broiler chicks were randomly distributed into eight experimental groups with four replicates of eight birds each. Experimental groups were fed with control diet without supplementation of AGP and essential oils (T1), BMD (Bacitracin Methylene Disalicylate) antibiotic @ 500 mg/kg diet (T2), thyme essential oil @ 150 mg/kg diet (T3), 200 mg/kg diet (T4), 250 mg/kg diet (T5), peppermint essential oil @ 200 mg/kg diet (T6), 250 mg/kg diet (T7) and 300 mg/kg diet (T8). The supplementation of thyme oil @ 200 mg/kg and peppermint oil @ 300 mg/kg broiler diet significantly (p less than 0.05) improved b.wt. and b.wt gain. The peppermint oil supplementation @ 300 mg/kg was found to be more beneficial when compared among different oil-supplemented groups. The feed conversion ratio was significantly (p less than 0.05) improved with peppermint oil supplementation @ 300 mg/kg diet. A significant (p less than 0.05) reduction in the mean abdominal fat was observed in diet supplemented with higher levels of thyme oil (@ 250 mg/kg diet) and peppermint oil (@ 300 mg/kg diet). Return over feed cost was the highest in broilers assigned diet with AGP; however, it was statistically similar to the basal diet. Considering the net return over fed cost of broilers, use of thyme oil was uneconomical, but supplementation of peppermint essential oil @ 200 and 300 mg/kg diet increased the net return over feed cost and were economical, however less as compared to T1 and T2.



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.



Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 678
Author(s):  
Hélène Dechatre ◽  
Lucie Michel ◽  
Samuel Soubeyrand ◽  
Alban Maisonnasse ◽  
Pierre Moreau ◽  
...  

The parasitic Varroa destructor is considered a major pathogenic threat to honey bees and to beekeeping. Without regular treatment against this mite, honey bee colonies can collapse within a 2–3-year period in temperate climates. Beyond this dramatic scenario, Varroa induces reductions in colony performance, which can have significant economic impacts for beekeepers. Unfortunately, until now, it has not been possible to predict the summer Varroa population size from its initial load in early spring. Here, we present models that use the Varroa load observed in the spring to predict the Varroa load one or three months later by using easily and quickly measurable data: phoretic Varroa load and capped brood cell numbers. Built on 1030 commercial colonies located in three regions in the south of France and sampled over a three-year period, these predictive models are tools designed to help professional beekeepers’ decision making regarding treatments against Varroa. Using these models, beekeepers will either be able to evaluate the risks and benefits of treating against Varroa or to anticipate the reduction in colony performance due to the mite during the beekeeping season.



Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 969
Author(s):  
Isobel Grindrod ◽  
Jessica L. Kevill ◽  
Ethel M. Villalobos ◽  
Declan C. Schroeder ◽  
Stephen John Martin

The combination of Deformed wing virus (DWV) and Varroa destructor is arguably one of the greatest threats currently facing western honey bees, Apis mellifera. Varroa’s association with DWV has decreased viral diversity and increased loads of DWV within honey bee populations. Nowhere has this been better studied than in Hawaii, where the arrival of Varroa progressively led to the dominance of the single master variant (DWV-A) on both mite-infested Hawaiian Islands of Oahu and Big Island. Now, exactly 10 years following the original study, we find that the DWV population has changed once again, with variants containing the RdRp coding sequence pertaining to the master variant B beginning to co-dominate alongside variants with the DWV-A RdRp sequence on the mite-infested islands of Oahu and Big Island. In speculation, based on other studies, it appears this could represent a stage in the journey towards the complete dominance of DWV-B, a variant that appears better adapted to be transmitted within honey bee colonies.



2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 060-062
Author(s):  
Özsoy Esma ◽  
Kesercan Buket ◽  
Yörük Emre

fusarium graminearum is one of the most popular phytopathogens of cereals worldwide. F. graminearum is the major causal agent of head blight of wheat and barley. Disease-resistant cultivar development, antagonistic microorganism usage and fungicide treatment are the most common strategies in head blight management strategies. However, these methods have some important disadvantages. The use of plant-derived essential oil against F. graminearum seems to be a promising approach due to the recent researches. This review summarizes the potential use of essential oils to fight against F. graminearum.



2021 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Divya Thakur ◽  
Gurpreet Kaur ◽  
Ashana Puri ◽  
Rajat Nanda

: A pre-eminent emulsion based micellar drug delivery system, “microemulsion”, comprising of drug in oil or water phase, stabilized by surfactants and co-surfactants, has been evidenced to have phenomenal role in number of applications. Oils play an important role in formation of ME and increase the drug absorption at the site of action. Oils employed in microemulsion formulation solubilize lipophilic drug. As concept of “natural” therapies is recently gaining importance amongst researchers all over the world, scientists are employing essential oil as an organic component in this system. The active components of essential oils include flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, monoterpenes and polyunsaturated of mega-6-fatty acids. These oils are enriched with characteristic intrinsic properties such as anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, etc. bestows an enhanced supremacy to whole microemulsion system. This mini-review is the first to document various types of essential oils employed in microemulsion systems and highlight their therapeutic potential and applications as drug delivery vehicles. Key inferences from this study suggest: 1) Clove oil is the most explored oil for incorporation into microemulsion based system, followed by peppermint and Tea Tree Oil (TTO). 2) Penetration enhancing effects of these oils is due to the presence of terpenic constituents. 3) Essential oil based microemulsions protect volatility of ethereal oils and protect them from degradation in presence of light, air, temperature. 4) These systems may also be explored for their applications in different industries like aromatherapy, food, drink, fragrance, flavour, cosmeceutical, soap, petroleum and pharmaceutical industry.



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