Simple approaches for environmental and mechanical management of the Varroa mite, Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman (Parasitiformes: Varroidae), on the honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Egypt

Abstract

Abstract Background Varroa mite, Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman (Parasitiformes: Varroidae), is an ectoparasitic mite of the honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), with a great economic importance. It is the major deadlock of apiculture development all over the world. Results This work aimed to assess the effect of bee house and dark bee house on numbers of Varroa mite on white card board sheets, worker broods, and alive bees during spring and autumn of 2018 and 2019. Two types of card board for sticking the fallen Varroa mite were evaluated through winter of 2019. Keeping honey bee hives in a dark room during March and September of 2018 and 2019 for a successive 3 days resulted in a great reduction in the number of Varroa inner bee hive, i.e., on the white card board sheets, area of broods, and alive honey bee. Highest number of fallen Varroa mite on the white card board sheets was obtained in the case of using the dark bee house during March and September in 2018 and 2019, followed by keeping in a normal bee house then those fallen in the case of the open apiary. Conclusion The dark bee house grooming behaviour increased through 3 days of dark. Environmental management of bee house and dark bee house can be promising in colony collapse disorder. Modified adhesive sheets were more efficient in this regard than the normal ones.

Keywords

• Apis mellifera
• Varroa destructor
• Environmental management
• Bee house
• Grooming behaviour