Essential oils of Labiatae for controlling honey bee varroosis

Abstract

The efficiency of Labiatae essential oils was compared with a classical aerosol treatment, including the acaricidic substance amitraz at the 0.25 concentration. The tested concentrations of the experimental mixture were 1 YO of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) and 0.5 YO of sage (Salvia oflicinalis L.). These products were also injected into each colony by the aerosol way for one minute. 4 applications in an interval of 3 or 4 days constitute the treatment. The dead mites (Varroajacobsoni Oud.) were counted everyday. The number of surviving mites was estimated by means of a fluvalinate control treatment. No difference in the lobal efficiency was found for the moderately infested colonies (less than 1300 mites, a few mutilatef pu ae), which contained a small brood area. A weak grade of post-therapeutic residues in honey was onry detected by gas chromatography just after aerosol administration.

Use of essential oils for the control of Varroa jacobsoni Oud. in honey bee colonies

“…Colin [18] compared an aerosol application of water emulsions of 1 % thyme oil (main ingredients p-cymene and thymol) and 0. Liebig [57] tested this product in brood-free colonies in November.…”

“…Liebig [57] tested this product in brood-free colonies in November. Four, 1-min treatments at intervals of 3-4 days with 100 mL of BIOLOGIC V® per 1.5 L deionized water were carried out, essentially as described by Colin [18]. Mite [52].…”

Plant Essential Oils Used Against Some Bee Diseases

“…All essential oils caused mite mortality without severe harmful effects on adult bees. Colin, (1990) reported that essential oils of thyme, thymus vulgaris and sage, salvia officinalis effectively control V. jacobsoni. Gashout and Guzman-Novoa, (2009) evaluated some essential oils for their toxicity to the parasitic mite V. destructor.…”

Measuring Impacts of Neem Oil and Amitraz on Varroa destructor and Apis Mellifera in Different Agricultural Systems of South Florida

“…Colin (1990) demonstrated that aerosol application of water emulsions of 1 % thyme oil and 0.5 % sage oil with 0.25 % Amitraz solution removed 99% of mites. However, mites have shown resistance to these low amitraz levels but not to higher levels (Corniffe, personal communication).…”

“…However, Melathopoulos (2000) found that neem treatments caused a significant loss of queens and may be acutely toxic to immature bees. Both Colin (1990) and Melathopoulos (2000) found the oil to have a repellent effect on the bees and not useful as a sugar patty 1 additive. On the other hand, Allam et al (2003) and Liu (1995) consists of only field crops; however, farms of fruit trees border its fences with plant nurseries nearby.…”