Prevalence of acariosis in honeybee colonies of Apis mellifera intermissa in Algeria

Abstract

This study was aimed to investigate the prevalence of acariosis in honeybee colonies of Apis mellifera intermissa in Algeria. To this end, samples of bee colonies of the Apis mellifera intermissa race were taken from the brood frames for assessment of acariosis induced by Acarapis woodi in five provinces in Algeria viz., Tizi Ouzou, Blida, Boumerdes, Algiers, and Bouira. A sample of 100 to 150 bees spread over three to five colonies for each apiary was observed. Presence of this parasite was examined using laboratory and microscopic methods that entailed dissecting the thoraxes of the bees to expose their tracheas. Each trachea was examined under a microscope. In the case of the infected bees, the mites appear as small oval bodies attached to the transparent walls of the tracheas. According to the examination and analysis results, two cases of acariosis were observed in two colonies in the same apiary in the province of Boumerdes. In Bouira province, only one colony infested by the mite was found. Meantime, no single case of acariosis was detected in the provinces of Blida, Algiers, and Tizi Ouzou. These results indicate low prevalence of this disease in Algeria. For the infected apiaries, there is so far no 100% effective treatment for acariosis. Once this disease is present in the apiary, the beekeeper must control its development at a level that will not affect the health of the colony.