Natural products for the control of the mite Varroa destructor in Africanized bees

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of oxalic acid and essential oils of plants on the control of Varroa destructor infestation in Africanized Apis mellifera colonies. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design, in 30 colonies, with six treatments and five replicates. Beehives were treated with essential oils of common rue (Ruta graveolens), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.), and mint (Mentha piperita), besides thymol, oxalic acid, and a control treatment without product application. Varroa mite mortality levels, bee offspring mortality rate, and the varroa mite infestation rate in offspring and adult bees were evaluated before and after the application of each product. Oxalic acid and oils of common rue, thymol, eucalyptus and mint reduced significantly the mortality of offspring parasitized by this mite in 92.1, 83.3, 81.7, 86.4, and 81.3%, respectively. The treatment with oxalic acid also reduced varroa mite infestation in adult bees in 87.4%. The use of these products is efficient in reducing the mortality of A. mellifera offspring parasitized by V. destructor.