Guaranteeing high acaricide efficacy to control Varroa destructor is fundamental for colony survival. In this study, we verified the efficacy and impact of a commercial thymol-based veterinary product (Apiguard®) on colony honey bee populations when used alone or combined with the biotechnical method of caging honey bee queens to create an artificial brood interruption period in the colony. Apiguard® killed 76.1% of the mites while queen caging killed 40.6% of the mites. The combination of Apiguard® administration with queen caging killed 96.8% of the mites. Comparing bee numbers before and after treatment, Apiguard® treated colonies with caged queens had 48.7% fewer bees compared to before treatment, while Apiguard® alone reduced the number of adult bees by 13.6%. None of the treatments in the different groups resulted in elevated queen mortality.Varroa destructor / thymol / Apiguard / queen caging / efficacy
Modern European beekeeping is facing numerous challenges due to a variety of factors, mainly related to globalisation, agrochemical pollution and environmental changes. In addition to this, new pathogens threaten the health of European honeybees. In that context, correct colony management should encompass a wider vision, where productivity aspects are linked to a One Health approach in order to protect honeybees, humans and the environment. This paper describes a novel tool to be applied in beekeeping operations: good beekeeping practices (GBPs). The authors ranked a list of GBPs scored against their importance and validated by an international team, including researchers, national animal health authorities and international beekeepers' associations. These activities were carried out in the project 'BPRACTICES', approved within the transnational call of the European Research Area Network on Sustainable Animal Production Rev. Sci. Tech. Off. Int. Epiz., 38 (3) 3 3/27 (ERA-NET SusAn) in the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme of the European Union. This study, created through an international collaboration, aims to present an innovative and implementable approach, similar to applications already adopted in other livestock production systems.
View related articles View Crossmark data Citing articles: 1 View citing articles ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE Liquid formic acid 60% to control varroa mites (Varroa destructor) in honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera): protocol evaluation
Assessment of colony infestation by Varroa destructor is a crucial part of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) applied to beekeeping. Natural mite fall, quantified by counting the mites on sticky sheets, is considered a reference method to estimate varroa infestation level in honey bee colonies. However, in recent years, alternative methods that can be used in field conditions have been investigated. In this paper, we report the results of the evaluation of two different methods to estimate the levels of varroa infestation. The experiment involved 151 honey bee colonies in nine apiaries of four countries (Algeria, Croatia, Italy, Poland). After the main honey flow, we compared the 10-day natural mite fall and the powdered sugar roll methods with the varroa population in each colony. According to our results, the powdered sugar roll method could be suggested to beekeepers as a suitable IPM tool for varroa control, while natural mite fall represents a more accurate method that could be adopted for selection/research purposes.
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