Effect of formic acid on the control of the bee parasitic mite Varroa destructor under semiarid conditions

Al-Majeed Al-Ghzawi, A. and Zaitoun, S. and Al-Serhan, R. (2008) Effect of formic acid on the control of the bee parasitic mite Varroa destructor under semiarid conditions. Acta Phytopathologica et Entomologica Hungarica, 43 (1). pp. 171-185. ISSN 0238-1249

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Abstract

These experiments were conducted at Jordan University of Science and Technology campus from April to November of 2004, to investigate the effect of formic acid on the infestation of honeybee colony with Varroa destructor . Formic acid was applied at concentrations of 75%, 85%, or 98% using three methods of application, above, bottom, or both ways. Results indicated that the use of formic acid at low concentration (75%) did not have obvious effect on Varroa infestation with the three methods of application. Application of 98% formic acid resulted in a negative effect on the number of brood and worker bees, although it reduced the infestation rate of the colonies with Varroa to 0%. The moderate concentration of formic acid (85%) reduced the infestation rate with Varroa to a very low level, 2–3% using the three methods of application, whereas numbers of brood and workers of honey bees were not influenced. Moderate concentration of formic acid (85%) indicated that the correlation of the three methods of applications to the percentage of infestation rate was not highly significant at p ≤ 0.05. The bottom application was the most effective in controlling Varroa mite.

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