New Phenomenon for Natural Control of Varroa Destructor in Honey Bee Colonies A. Mellifera L. in Libya

Abstract

In Libya the varroa was first detected in the region of Al-Jabal Al-Akhader in 1976, where believed that it introduced by infected colonies that were imported from Bulgaria in 1974 to that region (Elshukri 2008).The mite then has spread covering almost the entire country in 1986 and has caused severe damage to the beekeeping industry, exceeded 50% losses in honey bee colonies. The miticide used in the first time is Folbex VA (bromopropylate)as a fumigant strip, replaced with apistan (Fluvalinate)in 1990 where used for long time till the mite has ultimately develop resistance (Alfallah 2000). Bayvaroll have been registered in 1994,Apilife Var where imported from Italy in 2002 which consist from natural material, Amitrazimported in formula of fumigant stripalthough is not registered by the government.In summer 1995 I lost 75% from my apiary because of delaying treatment only one month, emerge wingless and shortened abdomen young bee, in the end the colonies collapsed,colonies would collapse within 2 years without periodic treatment,by removing sealed drone brood for four to fiveconsecutive times in the beginning of season without using other method for controlling varroa is sufficient for several years in my apiary.in the last 10 years most of beekeepers reduce their uses of chemicals and miticide importing has been reduced.Many diseases such as American, and European foul brood and some other diseases has been disappeared in the last eight year’s because of honey bee organization stop their activity for importing bees from other countries. Many researchers try to spare the hive from residues of chemicals and found safe methods may introduced in program for alternative varroa control (AVC). Powdered sugar is most efficacious when it can be applied early in the season and exploit a winter brood-free period (Berry et al. 2012). Clove oil and tobacco extract both proved to be equally effective where gave the highest number of fallen Varroa mites (Rashid et al 2014). Good results achieved when lemon juice used with different concentrations with sugar syrup for controlling varroa on adult workers in honeybee colonies with little brood. (Abdel-Rahman and Rateb, 2008). In the United States they stop Amitraz from the marketing because of an issue of toxicity to bees through the strip plasticizer. (Jeff Pettis 2013). Researchers suggest that the drone-brood trapping method can be used as an element of an integrated control strategy to control varroa mites (Wantuch and Tarpy, 2009). By breeding mite-biting bees to control varroa, researcher found that it was possible to increase the proportion of chewed mites in the breeding population. Their results show that the trait is heritable. (Greg Hunt et al 2016)