Seasonal Incidence of Ectoparasitic mites and Greater Wax Moth in Apis mellifera L. Colonies

Abstract

The incidence of ectoparasitic mites Varroa destructor (Anderson and Trueman), Tropilaelaps clareae (Delfinado and Baker) and wax moth Galleria mellonella (L.) on the honey bee Apis mellifera L. was assessed during 2019-20 at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Morena, Madhya Pradesh. The results revealed that V. destructor infestation was at minimum (4%) in the first fortnight of July 2019 and maximum (14%) in the first fortnight of September 2019 with the visual examination method. There existed a negative correlation with the brood area. Tropilaelaps clareae infestation was minimum (6 mites/colony) in the second fortnight of November 2019 and maximum (22 mites/colony) during the first fortnight of October 2019, as assessed by the sugar dusting method. The infestation revealed a negative correlation with colony strength. Galleria mellonella incidence was at maximum (176 larvae, 72 pupae, and 17 adults/colony) in the second fortnight of September 2019 and minimum (5 larvae, 5 pupae, and 2 adults/colony) in the first fortnight of September, August and August 2019, respectively. The number of pupae and brood area was found significantly negatively correlated (r = -0.534); while the number of adults vs. colony strength and brood area were significantly negatively correlated (r = -0.499 and r = -0.607, respectively).