Controlled Infestation of Honeybee Colonies with Varroa Destructor Females

Abstract

The development of female Varroa destructor mites in the bee colonies was examined in the apiculture season through a developed research system in which bee colonies were experimentally infested with fifty V. destructor females. Differences in infestation rates were observed between the control group (C) and the infested group (E). The average number of female mites per colony was determined at 513 in group E and 261.6 in group C. Natural daily mortality reached 0.16 mites in group E and 0.09 mites in group C. In group E, the number of V. destructors increased 7.96 to 13.32-fold, subject to colony. The size of V. destructor populations increased at a higher rate in group E than in group C (F= 12.39, P= 0.047). At the end of the experiment, the percentage of infested honey bee workers was determined at 0.97% in group E and 0.46% in group C. The results of this study confirmed that V. destructor mites continue to proliferate rapidly in honey bee colonies, and that the population growth rate in bee colonies and apiaries has to be closely monitored due to growing levels of resistance to acaricides.

Keywords

• apis mellifera
• monitoring of varroosis
• population development
• varroa control