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CHEMICAL ACARICIDES IN APIS MELLIFERA (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE) COLONIES; DO THEY CAUSE NONLETHAL EFFECTS?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

Lynn C. Westcott  and
Mark L. Winston
Lynn C. Westcott*
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
Mark L. Winston
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
*
1Author to whom all correspondence should be sent at the following address: Box 224, Hudson's Hope, British Columbia, Canada VOC 1VO.
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Abstract

Colonies of the honey bee, Apis mellifera Linnaeus, infested with the parasitic mites Acarapis woodi (Rennie) (Acari: Tarsonemidae) or Varroa jacobsoni Oudemans (Acari: Varroidae) require acaricidal treatment to control infestations that could affect colony growth and honey production. We investigated the effects of three acaricides, fluvalinate (formulated as Apistan®), formic acid, and menthol, on honey bee colony population growth, foraging activity, adult worker longevity, and honey production. Effects of in-hive treatments of Apistan® and formic acid were measured by examining colony weight gain, brood survival, sealed-brood area, emerged-bee weight, number of returning foragers, pollen-load weight, and worker longevity. These characteristics were not different between fluvalinate-treated colonies, formic-acid-treated colonies, and control colonies. Adult bee population, brood survival, number of returning foragers, and honey production did not vary among menthol-treated colonies, formic-acid-treated colonies, and control colonies. Sealed-brood area was lower in formic-acid-treated colonies than control colonies, but not different from menthol-treated colonies. Although not statistically significant, formic-acid-treated colonies experienced lower honey production than both menthol-treated and control colonies. Numbers of workers attending the queen in the retinue and queen behaviour patterns were not different after colonies were treated with formic acid.

Résumé

Les colonies d’abeilles, Apis mellifera Linnée, infestées des acariens parasites Acarapis woodi (Rennie) (Acari : Tarsonemidae) ou Varroa jacobsoni Oudemans (Acari : Varroidae) nécessitent des traitements acaricides pour assurer le contrôle des infestations qui peuvent affecter la croissance de la colonie et la production de miel. Nous avons examiné les effets de trois acaricides, le fluvalinate (sous sa forme commerciale Apistan®), l’acide formique et le menthol, sur la croissance de la population à laquelle appartient la colonie, sur l’activité de quête de nourriture, sur la longévité des ouvrières adultes et sur la production de miel. Les effets des traitements à l’Apistan® et à l’acide formique appliqués directement dans la ruche ont été mesurés par examen des gains de masse de la colonie, de la survie du couvain, de la zone scellée réservée au couvain, de la masse des abeilles à l’émergence, du nombre de butineuses qui reviennent à la ruche, de la masse du fardeau de pollen et de la longévité des ouvrières. Il n’y avait pas de différence entre les colonies traitées aux deux acaricides et les colonies témoins. La population d’adultes, la survie du couvain, le nombre de butineuses de retour à la colonie et la production de miel se sont avérés semblables chez les colonies traitées au menthol ou à l’acide formique et chez les colonies témoins. La zone scellée réservée au couvain était moins grande chez les colonies traitées à l’acide formique que chez les colonies témoins, mais était semblable à celle des colonies traitées au menthol. Bien que les différences observées se soient avérées non significatives, la production de miel était plus faible dans les colonies traitées à l’acide formique que dans les colonies traitées au menthol ou les colonies témoins. Le nombre d’ouvrières affectées au service de la reine et le comportement de la reine n’ont pas été modifiés par un traitement à l’acide formique.

[Traduit par la Rédaction]

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 131 , Issue 3 , June 1999 , pp. 363 - 371
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1999

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