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Varroa destructor is the parasitic mite of the honeybee, Apis mellifera. It presents a major threat to the health of bees and to the quality and quantity of honey. Varroa destructor have increased their resistance to acaricides; consequently, the mites or their vector viruses become more virulent. Infested colonies, commonly referred to as ‘mite bombs’, facilitate the dispersal of mites and transmission of disease to stronger and healthier colonies. Acaricides are the most used means of control, although the use of these chemical products has a negative impact on the health of bees, the quality of honey, human health, and the environment. The argan tree of the genus Argania is a tropical tree of the Sapotaceae family. This plant is very important economically. The argan tree is the source of biologically active and edible oil. In this context, we aim to test the bioacaricide power of the argan tree to fight the V. destructor by molecular modelling methods.

The argan tree is well adapted to drought conditions in Algerian western Sahara. The argan forest of Tindouf has a structure of coppice on stumps, characterized by an average height of 4.7m. Regeneration by dense resprouts represents 43% for 1,192 inventoried trees. The mother trees of Argania spinosa have a significant potential to resprout in coppice or suckers, thus forming crowns around mounds on beds of wadis. It should be noted that 21% of the trees are damaged by illegal cutting. The average spacing between the trees is around 13m. The argan tree retains a large volume of soil input with an average of 23.6 ± 36.3m3/ stump in the form of mounds. Linear regression analysis revealed an increasing relationship between mound volume and the number of stems per stump. Thanks to its powerful root system, the argan tree accumulates additional soil and contributes to the slow mechanism of sedimentation of micro-horizons, constituting mounds around the feet of trees.