Varroasis is a disease caused by the mite Varroa destructor, which affects honeybees worldwide. It is estimated that it entered Chile in 1992, and it must be controlled through different types of treatments such as th...Varroasis is a disease caused by the mite Varroa destructor, which affects honeybees worldwide. It is estimated that it entered Chile in 1992, and it must be controlled through different types of treatments such as thymol, formic and oxalic acid in different formulations and presentations. This kind of organic products has shown a variable acaricidal capacity, since different factors affect their efficacy such as ambient temperature and humidity, product presentation and location inside the hive, etc.. In Chile, beekeeping takes place in four different climatic zones, in which ambient temperature and humidity as well as the duration of the apicultural season are different. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine how ambient temperature and humidity influence the efficacy of the organic treatments used in the beekeeping season. Different apiaries were installed in those climatic zones in three seasons between the years 2009 and 2012. All beehives received the same management in each apiary and it was evaluated the same organic treatments in different formulations and presentations. All the beehives were positive to Varroa, which was obtained using samples of adult bees and the soapy water test before and after each treatment. A thermo-hygrometer was installed in each apiary in order to monitor the ambient temperature （T°） and humidity （H°） conditions, which were registered daily for a period of 30 days since the beginning. It was obtained that the treatments＇ efficacy increases as the minimum T° and average T° rose, whereas on the contrary, the efficacy decreases when maximum H° was higher.展开更多
文摘Varroasis is a disease caused by the mite Varroa destructor, which affects honeybees worldwide. It is estimated that it entered Chile in 1992, and it must be controlled through different types of treatments such as thymol, formic and oxalic acid in different formulations and presentations. This kind of organic products has shown a variable acaricidal capacity, since different factors affect their efficacy such as ambient temperature and humidity, product presentation and location inside the hive, etc.. In Chile, beekeeping takes place in four different climatic zones, in which ambient temperature and humidity as well as the duration of the apicultural season are different. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine how ambient temperature and humidity influence the efficacy of the organic treatments used in the beekeeping season. Different apiaries were installed in those climatic zones in three seasons between the years 2009 and 2012. All beehives received the same management in each apiary and it was evaluated the same organic treatments in different formulations and presentations. All the beehives were positive to Varroa, which was obtained using samples of adult bees and the soapy water test before and after each treatment. A thermo-hygrometer was installed in each apiary in order to monitor the ambient temperature （T°） and humidity （H°） conditions, which were registered daily for a period of 30 days since the beginning. It was obtained that the treatments＇ efficacy increases as the minimum T° and average T° rose, whereas on the contrary, the efficacy decreases when maximum H° was higher.
