Essential Oils as Potential Control Agents Against Varroa Mite Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman in Comparison with Chemical Substance on Honeybee Colonies Headed by Hybrid Local Egyptian Queens

Abstract

The efficacy of essential oils i.e. geranium oil, lemon oil, mint oil, chamomile oil and black cumin oil, used alone or inmixtures, compared with a chemical insecticide, mitac, against Varroa mite was evaluated. The infestation levels ofthese substances were evaluated in honeybee colonies during October, November and December 2005 in GizaGovernorate. Cotton strips, saturated with the tested substances, were hanged between the middle combs in alltreatments. The efficacy rate of geranium oil, lemon oil, mixture of (geranium, lemon, chamomile and mint oils) andmixture of (lemon, black cumin and mint oils), in comparison with mitac was 37.27%, 32.56%, 37.59%, 36.27% and53.64% respectively. This study indicates that using mixture of essential oils was more suitable with cotton strips incontrolling Varroa mite. Genetic improvement by using hybrid queens between Apis mellifera carnica (drones) andApis mellifera lamerkii (virgins), proved to be an effective and reliable method for the control of Varroa destructor.Cultural control by lemon oil or added to sugar solution was used in feeding the colonies, especially in winter. Puttingthe colonies in citrus garden and cultivation of geranium or chamomile around apiaries (these new cultural control)were added to IPM programmes for control Varroa mite.