Experiments assessed the comparative efficacy of oxalic acid solution (OA) and combination of formic acid (FA) evaporation and trickling OA to control the honey bee mite, Varroa destructor, at two apiary locations. Queen caging, consecutive OA treatments of broodless colonies, or combined treatments using OA and FA in colonies with brood increased mite mortality (P…
Abstract Beekeepers have various options to control the parasitic mite Varroa destructor in honey bee colonies, but no empirical data are available on the methods they apply in practice. We surveyed 28,409 beekeepers maintaining 507,641 colonies in 30 European countries concerning Varroa control methods. The set of 19 different Varroa diagnosis and control measures was…
Agricultural and apicultural practices expose honeybees to a range of pesticides that have the potential to negatively affect their physiology, neurobiology, and behavior. Accumulating evidence suggests that these effects extend to the honeybee gut microbiome, which serves important functions for honeybee health. Here we test the potential effects of the pesticides thiacloprid, acetamiprid, and oxalic…