Further Investigations into Control of the Parasite Bee MiteTropilaelaps Clareaewithout Medication

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Three methods for controlling Tropilaelaps clareae in honeybee (Apis mellifera) colonies without medication were tested: (1) caging the queen for more than 21 days, then releasing her a few days after all workers had emerged, (2) caging the queen for 9 days until all brood was sealed, then cutting off the cappings and shaking the brood out of the combs, and (3) removing all brood from the colony. The effectiveness of the treatments was assessed by determining percentage infestation of worker bees before, during and after treatment and recording numbers of mites falling daily on to the bottom board of the hive. With method (1) percentage infestation and numbers of mites falling on to the bottom board increased up to 10 times after 8 days, when no unsealed brood was left. Within 3 days after the last bees emerged the numbers of dying mites decreased considerably and a few days later none were found on adult bees. With method (2) the number of dying mites collected decreased considerably within 3 or 4 days after the brood had been shaken out, and a few days later no mites were found on the workers. With method (3) the number of mites collected declined considerably within 1 to 3 days after removal of the brood and a few days later no mites were found on the workers. It appeared that worker bees cleared the comb cells of dead mites within a few days. As T. clareae is unable to feed on blood of adult bees it can be controlled simply by depriving colonies of brood.