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Honey production of honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies with high and low Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) infestation rates in eastern Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 November 2013

Berna Emsen ,
Ernesto Guzman-Novoa  and
Paul G. Kelly
Berna Emsen
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Ataturk University, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey
Ernesto Guzman-Novoa*
Affiliation:
School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
Paul G. Kelly
Affiliation:
School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
*
1Corresponding author (e-mail: [email protected]).
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Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare the honey yields of groups of honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies with high and low infestation rates of the mite Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman (Acari: Varroidae). More than 150 colonies were screened for mite fall in early spring and again 16 weeks later. The 10 colonies with the lowest rates (L) and the 10 colonies with the highest rates (H) of mite population growth were selected. These 20 colonies were evaluated for mite infestation in adult bees and honey production. Adult bee infestation in the colonies of the H group was significantly higher than in the colonies of the L group. Additionally, H and L colonies differed significantly for honey production. L colonies produced 28.91 ± 2.34 kg of honey per hive versus 18.49 ± 0.77 kg for the group of H colonies. Furthermore, the mite infestation level of colonies measured as mite fall or as number of mites per 100 bees, was significantly correlated with honey production (r = −0.62, P < 0.05 and r = −0.76, P < 0.01, respectively). These results indicate that varroa mite populations significantly reduce honey yields in honey bee colonies in eastern Canada.

Résumé

L'objectif de cette étude était de comparer les rendements de miel de groupes de colonies d'abeilles (Hymenoptera: Apidae) avec des taux élevés et bas d'infestation de l'acarien Varroa destructor Anderson et Trueman (Acari: Varroidae). Nous avons déterminé le nombre d'acariens qui sont tombés dans plus de 150 colonies au début du printemps et 16 semaines plus tard. Les 10 colonies ayant les plus bas niveaux (L) et les 10 colonies avec les niveaux les plus élevés (H) de croissance de la population d'acariens ont été sélectionnées. L'infestation des acariens sur les abeilles adultes et la production de miel ont été évaluées dans ces 20 colonies. L'infestation des abeilles adultes dans les colonies du groupe H était significativement plus élevée que dans les colonies du groupe L. En outre, les colonies H et L différaient significativement dans la production de miel. Le groupe de colonies L a produit 28,91 ± 2,34 kg de miel par ruche contre 18,49 ± 0,77 kg pour le groupe de colonies H. En outre, le niveau d'infestation des colonies mesuré par la chute des acariens ou le nombre d'acariens dans 100 abeilles, était significativement corrélé avec la production de miel (r = −0,62, P < 0,05 et r = −0,76, P < 0,01, respectivement). Ces résultats indiquent que les populations de varroa réduisent considérablement les rendements de miel dans les colonies d'abeilles mellifères dans l'est du Canada.

Type
Insect Management – NOTE
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 146 , Issue 2 , April 2014 , pp. 236 - 240
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 2013 

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Footnotes

Subject editor: Christophe Praz

References

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