| The varroa mite, Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman, is a serious ectoparasitic mite of Apis mellifera L. Once a honey bee colony is infested with varroa mites, the whole colony will die within two years and possibly within two months. To prevent the loss of honey bees from varroa damage, we explored new low cost and environmental friendly control methods to reduce varroa mites in the honey bee colonies. We tested 2.45 GHz microwave radiation, which is fast and does not contaminate the colonies, to control varroa mites in their phoretic and reproductive stages. However, adult bees and pupae were more susceptible to 2.45 GHz microwave radiation than the adult varroa mites. We conclude that 2.45 GHz microwave radiation is not an appropriate method to control varroa mite in the honey bee colonies. We also tested three essential oils, thymol, origanum, and clove oils in different formulations for examining their effects on mite reproduction. Neat clove oil, starch-encapsulated thymol, beta-cyclodextrin encapsulated thymol, and beta-cyclodextrin encapsulated origanum oil significantly reduced mite infestation. beta-cyclodextrin-encapsulated origanum oil and thymol crystals significantly lowered mite reproduction. The results suggest that the tested essential oils can reduce mites by lowering their reproduction. |
