Use of oxalic acid to control Varroa destructor in honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies (original) (raw)
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Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences
The research work was carried out to determine the effects of oxalic acid (OA) on reducing ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman (Acari:Varroidae) populations in honeybee Apis mellifera linguistica (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies in the fall at Honey bee Research Institute, National Agricultural Research centre, Islamabad. Twenty honeybee colonies were used in this experiment. Colonies were divided into four groups of five colonies each. Oxalic acid was applied in sugar syrup with 4.2, 3. 2 and 2.1% concentrations. The OA with different concentrations was tricked directly on the adult honey bees in between two frames using a syringe applied thrice on different dates at five days interval. Average efficacy of OA with 3.2, 4.2 and 2.1 % was 95, 81 and 46 % respectively. No queens were lost, and there was no adult honeybee mortality in any of the colonies during the experiment. It can be concluded that 3.2% OA concentration are very effectively control varroa mite an...
In honeybee colonies, insufficient struggle against diseases and parasites or the use of wrong drugs at wrong time which reduce the productivity of colonies significantly. Additionally, these kinds of wrong applications can also threaten the human health because of chemical residues. Varroa destruc-tor, which affects negatively the colony productivity , is the most important external parasite of the honeybees (Apis mellifera L.). Therefore, beekeep-ers have to use many different synthetic miticides for reducing or preventing the V. destructor damages. This study was carried out to determine the possible effects of ocalic acid treatment in different seasons on V. destructor population in honeybee colonies. Ten of total twenty honebee colonies had similar in-festetion levels which were used for treatment group and ten colonies were also used as the control group. Average efficacies of oxalic acid treatment in different seasons on Varroa population in honeybee colonies in early spring (in March), summer (in June) and late autumn (in October) were found to be 80.22%, 69.72% and 84.61%, respectively (P<0.01). These results showed that oxalic acid treatment in late autumn and early spring against varroa in honeybees were about 21% and 15% more effective than summer , respectively.
2013
2 Abstract: The proposed research work was conducted in January, 2012 at Honeybee Research Institute of National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad on Apis mellifera lingustica honeybee colonies infested with the Varroa destructor. Treatments were given by dividing experimental colonies into three groups (formic acid, oxalic acid and control). Oxalic acid 3.2% (T ), Formic acid 65% (T ) and control (T ) were applied in seven 1 2 3 replications each for four weeks. The treatments were given randomly by using complete randomized design (CRD). The maximum mean number 635 ± 4.31 (Mean ± SE), 305±3.82 (Mean ± SE) and 103±3.30 (Mean ± SE) of mites collected in mite collection trays treated with T , T and T respectively and the difference between the 12 3 treatments was highly significant. The efficacy and honey yield from the experimental colonies were also highly significant difference than the controls. The highest mean efficacy 91± 0.26 (Mean ± SE) and honey yield 24± 0.44 (Mean ±...
Using oxalic acid in water solution in control of Varroa mites and its influence on honey bees
We studied the toxicity of water solutions containing various concentrations of oxalic acid dihydrate to bees and Varroa mites (Varroa destructor) using by spraying honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies with no brood or little brood in beehive conditions in West-Viru County, Estonia. A water solution of 0.5% OA gave effective control of the mite and was not toxic to bees whereas higher concentrations of OA (1.0 and 1.5%) were highly toxic to bees. In autumn, spraying test colonies that had little capped brood once or twice with a 0.5% OA solution gave effective mite control (92.94 ± 0.01% and 91.84 ± 0.02%, respectively) with no noticeable toxicity to bees.
Journal of Insect Science, 2021
The American beekeeping industry continually experiences colony mortality with annual losses as high as 43%. A leading cause of this is the exotic, ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman (Mesostigmata: Varroidae). Integrated Pest Management (IPM) options are used to keep mite populations from reaching lethal levels, however, due to resistance and/or the lack of suitable treatment options, novel controls for reducing mites are warranted. Oxalic acid for controlling V. destructor has become a popular treatment regimen among commercial and backyard beekeepers. Applying vaporized oxalic acid inside a honey bee hive is a legal application method in the U.S., and results in the death of exposed mites. However, if mites are in the reproductive stage and therefore under the protective wax capping, oxalic acid is ineffective. One popular method of applying oxalic is vaporizing multiple times over several weeks to try and circumvent the problem of mites hiding in brood cells...
Pakistan Journal of Zoology, 2012
The effectiveness of oxalic acid (3.2%), formic acid (65%) and flumethrin strip (Bayvarol) for the control of Varroa destructor (Anderson and Trueman) mite in broodless honeybee (Apis mellifera lingustica Linnaeus) colonies was determined. Three groups of five colonies each were treated with one of these agents, while the fourth group of five colonies was used as control. Mite mortality was examined in debris at 4-day intervals before application of the next treatment. The highest number of fallen mites 177±35.12 (Mean ± SE) occurred with oxalic acid and the difference between the treatments was highly significant. The efficacy and honey yield from the experimental colonies were also highly significantly different from the controls. The highest mean efficacy of 99±1.24 and honey yield 12.08± 0.86 was found in 3.2% oxalic acid treatment. No queens were lost and adult honeybee mortality did not occur in any of the colonies during the experiment.
Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences, 2020
Varroasis is a dangerous pathogen of the honey bee caused by the mite Varroa destructor, the aim of this work is to assess the effectiveness of two natural products (oxalic acid and thymol) in the fight against varroasis. The experiment covered 40 colonies in the central region of Algeria. Two doses of oxalic acid were used: 30 and 45 grams per liter of sugar syrup. For thymol (Thymovar), two treatments were carried out: ½ strip with one and two applications for each group of colonies. The 1/2 strip formulation in two applications at an interval of two weeks apart seems the most effective; the 45 gm solution of oxalic acid has a higher efficacy compared to that of 30 gm, that the effectiveness of oxalic acid is directly linked to the presence of brood at the time of the intervention. these two treatments are of control measure to be integrated by beekeepers as part of an alternative control strategy.
Negative long-term effects on bee colonies treated with oxalic acid against Varroa jacobsoni Oud
Apidologie, 1999
Two oxalic acid treatments were given to five colonies in autumn and five colonies in spring. In each treatment, colonies were treated every 7 days for 4 weeks with a 3 % sprayed oxalic acid. Another five colonies in each season served as controls and were sprayed only with water. Efficacy of oxalic acid in autumn was 94 % and in spring was 73 %. A long-term study of the colonies for 3-4 months after the last application of oxalic acid showed a statistically significant negative effect of the acid on brood development. In addition, three queens died in the treated colonies. © Inra/DIB/AGIB/Elsevier, Paris