Efficacy and Toxicity of VarroMed® Used for Controlling Varroa Destructor Infestation in Different Seasons and Geographical Areas

Škerl, Maja Ivana Smodiš; Rivera-Gomis, Jorge; Gajger, Ivana Tlak; Bubnič, Jernej; Talakić, Gabriela; Formato, Giovanni; Baggio, Alessandra; Tollenaers, Wim; Laget, Dries; Malagnini, Valeria; Zanotelli, Livia; Pietropaoli, Marco

doi:10.20944/preprints202107.0362.v2

2021

DOI: 10.20944/preprints202107.0362.v2

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Efficacy and Toxicity of VarroMed® Used for Controlling Varroa Destructor Infestation in Different Seasons and Geographical Areas

Maja Ivana Smodiš Škerl¹,

Jorge Rivera-Gomis²,

Ivana Tlak Gajger³

et al.

Abstract: VarroMed® is a soft acaricide registered for honey bees on the European Union market since 2017 for Varroa control. Researchers involved were partners of different countries of the Varroa control task force of COLOSS Association. Our goal was to evaluate performances (acaricide efficacy and toxic effects on honey bees) of VarroMed® in different climatic conditions. Our results in the tested apiaries showed an efficacy ranging from 71.2 to 89.3 % in summer/autumn, and from 71.8 % to 95.6 % in wi… Show more

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Cited by 5 publications

References 31 publications

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Lose Your Grip: Challenging Varroa destructor Host Attachment with Tartaric, Lactic, Formic, and Citric Acids

et al. 2023

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Beekeepers can use a variety of treatments against Varroa destructor, the parasitic mite of Apis mellifera. However, sustainable and easy-to-use solutions are still scarce, considering the complexity of reaching the parasite alone. Current treatments involve soft acaricides, although their mechanism of action is not well understood. We investigated the effects of organic acids such as tartaric, lactic, formic, and citric acids on the attachment abilities of V. destructor under laboratory conditions. Preventing parasites from gripping or holding on to their hosts is a crucial target for mite control strategies. We challenged grip skills through the Rotavar setup after the direct application of acids to mites’ arolia. We also tested the potential for mites to fall off honeybees after bee treatment. We found that tartaric, citric, and lactic acids were good candidates to impair the attachment of V. destructor twenty-four hours post-treatment. However, lactic acid remained the only candidate at a reasonable concentration to destabilise mites after the honey bee’s treatment without reducing their lifespan. While we conducted these experiments under artificial conditions, our results improved our comprehension of the organic acids’ potential impact on V. destructor. They can also help with the development of new methods for hive application for beekeepers worldwide.

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Lose Your Grip: Challenging Varroa destructor Host Attachment with Tartaric, Lactic, Formic, and Citric Acids

et al. 2023

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Special Issue: “Frontier Research in Apiculture (Diagnosis and Control of Bee Diseases, Bee Products, Environmental Monitoring)”

Mutinelli

2023

Applied Sciences

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Biotechnical Control of Varroa in Honey Bee Colonies: A Trade-Off between Sustainable Beekeeping and Profitability?

Vercelli,

Croce,

Mancuso

2023

Insects

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Beekeeping faces several challenges, such as the Varroa mite. Few studies have measured the economic performance of farms in relation to the practices used for Varroa control. Our study analyzed various biotechniques (total brood removal, TBR; queen caging, QC; royal cell insertion, CI) and other methods (chemical treatments, CT; thymol use, THY) adopted by Italian beekeepers to show whether the adoption of biotechniques leads to farm profitability or a necessary trade-off between sustainability and profitability. Beekeepers were interviewed about the methods and operations conducted on their farms. The net incomes (NIs) of the farms were calculated and inter- and intrafarm comparisons were performed. A detailed schema of each practice was designed. The net income derived from TBR was the highest in eight out of the nine case studies, followed by CI and then QC. The NI calculated for farms using CT was lower than that for farms using other methods in two of the case studies. We also analyzed different biotechniques applied by the same farm and found that the NI resulting from TBR was higher than that achieved from the use of QC and CI. Our study suggests that use of biotechniques represents a long-term sustainable solution for reducing the level of Varroa infestation, which affects farm net income.

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Efficacy and Toxicity of VarroMed® Used for Controlling Varroa Destructor Infestation in Different Seasons and Geographical Areas

Cited by 5 publications

References 31 publications

Lose Your Grip: Challenging Varroa destructor Host Attachment with Tartaric, Lactic, Formic, and Citric Acids

Lose Your Grip: Challenging Varroa destructor Host Attachment with Tartaric, Lactic, Formic, and Citric Acids

Special Issue: “Frontier Research in Apiculture (Diagnosis and Control of Bee Diseases, Bee Products, Environmental Monitoring)”

Biotechnical Control of Varroa in Honey Bee Colonies: A Trade-Off between Sustainable Beekeeping and Profitability?

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