Chemical acaricides in Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera : Apidae) colonies; do they cause nonlethal effects?
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| Authors: | Westcott, LC; Winston, ML |
| Year: | 1999 |
| Journal: | Canadian Entomologist 131: 363-371 |
| Title: | Chemical acaricides in Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera : Apidae) colonies; do they cause nonlethal effects? |
| Abstract: | Colonies of the honey bee, Apis mellifera Linnaeus, infested with the parasitic mites Acarcrpis woodi (Rennie) (Acari: Tarsonemidae) or Varroa jacobsoni Oudemans (Acari: Varroidae) require acaricidal treatment to control infestations that could affect colony growth and honey production. We investigated the effects of three acaricides, fluvalinate (formulated as Apistan(R)), formic acid, and menthol, on honey bee colony population growth, foraging activity, adult worker longevity, and honey production. Effects of in-hive treatments of Apistan(R) and formic acid were measured by examining colony weight gain, brood survival, sealed-brood area, emerged-bee weight, number of returning foragers, pollen-load weight, and worker longevity. These characteristics were not different between fluvalinate-treated colonies, formic-acid-treated colonies, and control colonies. Adult bee population, brood survival, number of returning foragers, and honey production did not vary among menthol-treated colonies, formic-acid-treated colonies, and control colonies. Sealed-brood area was lower in formic-acid-treated colonies than control colonies, but not different from menthol-treated colonies. Although not statistically significant, formic-acid-treated colonies experienced lower honey production than both menthol-treated and control colonies. Numbers of workers attending the queen in the retinue and queen behaviour patterns were not different after colonies were treated with formic acid. |
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