Host Preference Evaluation of Varroa destructor on Apis mellifera by Air-Flow Olfactometer

Abstract

Four arm air-flow Olfactometer was used to study the behavior and host preference of Varroa destructor on different stages of Apis mellifera L. Four arm Olfactometer studies revealed that among adult castes, V. destructor exhibited strong orientation towards drone and recorded maximum mite population and percentage preference followed by nurse bees with no significant difference (p= 0.158). However, varroa mites were less attracted to foragers accounting mite population of 10.5 with percentage preference of 21%. Further, it was determined that the among all the larval stages, the odor produced by drone larvae elicited strong orientation behavior by recording a mite population of 18.5 mites with percentage preference of 37% followed by 18-20 hr old larvae with 12.25 mite population and were significantly different (p=0.015). Our results showed that the newly-emerged 2-3 hr old worker larvae were less attractive to mites. Based on the present studies it was evaluated that drone brood was preferred by Varroa mites among all the hosts. Drone brood trap method can be used for the efficient management of varroa in an integrated approach for the sustainable development and wellbeing of honeybees by reducing the application of chemical methods and resistance development in this mite.