VARROA DESTRUCTOR TRETMENT WITH ESSENTIAL OILS

Abstract

Thyme, clove, and peppermint essential oils were used to treat honeybees against Varroa mites. The study was conducted in three stages: laboratory experiments determined the oil concentrations and their toxicity to bees, while a field experiment evaluated their effect on mites. Mites and bees were collected using the carbon dioxide method and then placed in Petri dishes with different concentrations of essential oils. In the field experiment, impregnated wooden sticks were placed in beehives.

The study showed that the most effective concentration was 2 mg/ml, ensuring the highest mite mortality after 24 hours. Thyme oil was the most effective, eliminating an average of 12.7 mites, while peppermint oil only eliminated 3.7. When using oxalic acid as a control, thyme oil reduced the mite count to 9.3 compared to peppermint (26.3) and the control (31.3). Summarizing the data, thyme oil proved to be 70% effective in combating mites.