Effectiveness of Treatments with Thymol in Controlling Varroa Destructor Parasite of The Honey Bee in Algeria

Abstract

Varroa disease is a parasitic disease of adult bees and brood, due to a blood-sucking external parasitic mite, Varroa destructor. This is one of the most dangerous diseases in Algeria. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of two treatments approved based thymol (Thymovar® and Apiguard®) in the fight against varroa in Algerian conditions and to determine the side effects of these treatments on bee colonies local Apis mellifera intermissa. The test was performed on 80 colonies with two different formulations for each treatment. As the results show in our test, a wide variation in the effectiveness between colonies is recorded for both treatments. The average efficiency for the group of colonies ½ Thymovar strap in two applications stood at 84.43%. This efficiency is lower for the group ½ straps in one application (77.23%). For Apiguard, the average efficiency is 81% for formulation 2 x 25g spaced two weeks, against a 79% rate for the formulation of 2X25 spaced one week. During our tests, with a few dead bees and nymphs found on nappies, we never recorded unusually high bee mortality. Further tests are needed to determine the optimal dose and the best time for treatment.