Using Some Herbal Essential Oils to Biological Control Varroa and Molecular Investigation of the Stress Level of These Products on Honey Bees

Abstract

Varroa is a vector that carries many microbial pathogens to bees, transmitting pathogens from sick individuals to healthy individuals and causing hive extinction. So, Varroa control is carried out intensively all over the world. Although the products used in the control against Varroa are successful, whether these products cause stress in honey bees is a very important issue that is often overlooked. In this study, essential oils obtained from Liquidambar orientalis, Juniperus drupacea, and Amasya thyme (Thymus vulgaris) plants, which are endemic in Turkey, were added to the wells of the hives, both individually and in combination, in hives where Varroa was densely populated. During the application (21 days), Varroa mortality was observed honey bees were randomly collected from the hives and the expression levels of the heat shock protein 90 (hsp90) gene were examined. According to the results obtained, Liquidambar orientalis oil had the highest sidal effect on Varroa (92%), and it was determined by qPCR analyses that it did not cause any significant stress in honey bees. Thus, it has been determined that the recommended dose of frankincense oil can be used effectively in the control against Varroa and will not cause stress in honey bees.