An environmentally friendly approach to the control of Varroa destructor mite and Nosema ceranae disease in Carniolan honeybee (Apis mellifera Carnica) colonies

Abstract

This paper presents data following the periodic checking of fallen mites Varroa destructor to determine the mite fall, and the presence and number of Nosema ceranae spores in samples of bees, determined by counting prior to and after BeeCleanse treatments. Because of the possibility of chemical resistance development, the variable efficiencies of current varroosis and nosemosis treatments and consequent contamination of honeybee products create a need for alternative treatment methods and the use of natural phytopharmacological preparations. BeeCleanse is a natural preparation containing different herbal, vitamin, mineral and essential oil recipes. The aims of the study were to establish the dynamics of the fallen mites and determine Nosema spores before and after treating honeybee colonies in order to establish the effectiveness of BeeCleanse for the control of varroosis and nosema disease in colonies during the brood season in order to reduce parasite populations to tolerable levels. In addition, the strength (number of populated and brood frames) of treated and untreated honeybee colonies was checked during the clinical examination in field conditions.

Keywords

• Varroa destructor
• Nosema ceranae
• honeybee
• alternative control
• BeeCleanse