Evaluation of the efficacy of different acaricides against Varroa destructor on Apis mellifera intermissa in Algeria

Abstract

Varroa mite has become a major concern of beekeepers in Algeria since the discovery of the first cases of infestation in the year 1982. The objective of this study was to test different registered chemicals aside with those prepared by beekeepers. The experiment was conducted on 50 Apis meliffera intermissa colonies in a commercial apiary and kept in standard Langstroth hives. Among the products which are approved in Algeria and tested in our experiment are Bayvarol which recorded the highest efficiency rate (91.62%), followed by Apivar (86.50%) and then Apistan (77.75%). Traditional preparations treatments had very low efficiency where it was only: 39.37% for amitraz and 44.21% for tau-fluvalinate (Mavrik). Our study showed a reduction in the efficiency of commercial products (Apistan, Bayvarol and Apivar) and a very low efficiency for amitraz and Mavrik. Such results prove the high demand of searching for more effective treatments against Varroa.