Systematic & Applied Acarology ISSN 1362-1971 An international journal of the Systematic and Applied Acarology Society, published since 1996 [Aims] [Editors] [Content] [Subscriptions] [Contact details] [Society Homepage]

Systematic & Applied Acarology (2007) 12, 99-108

Efficacy of some botanicals against ectoparasitic mite, Tropilaelaps clareae (Acari: Laelapidae) in Apis mellifera colonies

RAVI K. HOSAMANI, RACHNA GULATI¹, S.K SHARMA & RISHI KUMAR

Department of Entomology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar-125 004

1Corresponding author. E-mail: rgulati@hau.ernet.in

Abstract

Water extracts of three botanicals, garlic leaves, liquorice leaves, turmeric rhizomes with three concentrations (2, 1, and 0.5%) and sulphur powder were evaluated against Tropilaelaps clareae Delfinado and Baker in Apis mellifera L. colonies. A single spray of garlic extracts at 2% provided significantly more dead mites in hive debris with brood frames with bees (72.39%) and without bees (63.04%) than in the untreated group. Extracts of liquorice (2%) and turmeric (2%) killed 29.03, 14.61 per cent and 28.07, 14.26 per cent in colonies where the solution was sprayed on brood frames with bees and without bees, respectively. Among the treatments, significantly (p<0.05) more dead mites (18.17) were observed in garlic treated colonies than sulphur treated ones (15.4 mites) after seven days. Although the T. clareae count after turmeric and liquorice treatment was slightly lower than that in sulphur treatment, it differed significantly from the T. clareae count in water sprayed colonies (control). No mites were recorded in treated colonies after 21 days. The single spray of botanicals and sulphur did not affect the organoleptic quality of honey. Colony strength with respect to adult bee population and brood area were comparable between the treatments after 7 and 21 days but significantly more worker adults and brood and fewer mites were present in treated groups as compared to the untreated group.

Key words: Apis mellifera, Garlic bulbs, Liquorice leaves, Tropilaelaps clareae, Turmeric rhizomes

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