Use of Insect Repellents for Dispersing Defending Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Abstract

Some ecotypes of the honey bee, Apis mellifera L., show excessive levels of colony defense that have occasionally resulted in human and animal deaths. In cases where death has occurred, the victim, animal or human, has often been confined or panicked into an area from which it cannot escape. Our study was done to evaluate the use of repellents to reduce the severity of the stinging during accidental disturbances of excessively defensive colonies. Three mosquito repellents (diethyl-meta-toluamide, 2-ethyl-1,3-hexandiol, and dimethyl phthlate) and 2 odiferous compounds known to be repellent to honey bees (benzaldehyde and menthol) were tested in European (Texas) and Africanized (Mexico) apiaries by victims in protective clothing. When sprayed as an aerosol at the defending worker bees, all the compounds significantly reduced the number of bees around the victim and the number of stings in a patch of suede exposed during the test. DEET was consistently the most effective repellent. A number of materials could be developed as repellents for emergency use by individuals that are at high risk of encountering wild honey bee colonies in the course of their daily activity. KeywordsApis mellifera, repellents, colony defense, diethyl-meta-tolumide, menthol, stinging Disciplines Entomology CommentsThis article is from Journal of Economic Entomology 89 (1996): 608-613. RightsWorks produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted. J. Econ. Entomol. 89(3): 608-613 (1996) ABSTRACT Some ecotypes of the honey bee, Apis mellifera L., show excessive levels of colony defense that have occasionally resulted in human and animal deaths. In cases where death has occurred, the victim, animal or human, has often been confined or panicked into an area from which it cannot escape. Our study was done to evaluate the use of repellents to reduce the severity of the stinging during accidental disturbances of excessively defensive colonies. Three mosquito repellents (diethyl-meta-toluamide, 2-ethyl-1,3-hexandiol, and dimethyl phthlate) and 2 odiferous compounds known to be repellent to honey bees (benzaldehyde and menthol) were tested in European (Texas) and Africanized (Mexico) apiaries by victims in protective clothing. When sprayed as an aerosol at the defending worker bees, all the compounds significantly reduced the number of bees around the victim and the number of stings in a patch of suede exposed during the test. D EET was consistently the most effective repellent. A number of materials could be developed as repellents for emergency use by individuals that are at high risk of encountering wild honey bee colonies in the course of their daily activity.

Olfactory Stimulation of Africanized Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Attacks by Insect Repellents

“…These data do not necessarily contradict the claims made by Collins et al (1996), that DEET effectively repels attacking honey bees; however, it does indicate that DEET had little or no effect on preventing the initiation of an attack. In other tests, Spangler et al (1990) and Schmidt and Spangler (1991) showed that DEET might have a minor repellent affect against attacking bees, but the effect was substantially less than that produced by two aerosol insecticides and would likely be of little or no value in defending against a serious attack.…”

“…The concern was especially true for those repellents containing citronella, a compound chemically related to the attractant Nasonov pheromone of honey bees (Schmidt et al 1989). However, Collins et al (1996) suggested that another common ingredient of insect repellents, DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide), was an effective repellent of attacking honey bees and might have potential for personal protection. The current investigation determined if DEET and common insect repellents or lotions used on horses potentially increased the likelihood or vigor of attacks by Africanized honey bees.…”

Forty-two compounds in eleven essential oils elicit antennal responses from Aedes aegypti

“… 9 USDA, 1954; Collins et al., 1996; Barnard, 1999; Barasa et al., 2002; Trongtokit et al., 2005; Yang & Ma, 2005; Traboulsi et al., 2005; Amer & Melhorn, 2006; Kiran & Devi, 2007. …”

Benzaldehyde (CAS 100-52-7)

“…Sua função principal é a de conduzir as abelhas para fora das colmeias, enquanto ocorre o recolhimento do mel. 52 A reação de benzaldeído com amônia em uma síntese baseada em hidrogenação catalítica ou formamida (reação de Leuckart) fornece benzilamina. Trata-se de um importante processo industrial, para mascarar resíduos de amônia e inibir corrsão, mas também na área farmacêutica, como a síntese de benzodiazepínicos e antibióticos.…”