Study the Influence of Three Acaricides on Honeybee Workers Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) under Laboratory Conditions

Abstract

Honey bees, Apis mellifera L. is a major global pollinator of crops and native plants. Insecticides have a negative and hazardous effect on A. mellifera, other pollinators, and beneficial organisms. This study was carried out to evaluate the influence of three acaricides; Ortus (fenpyroximate) 5% EC, Everken (abamectin)1.8% EC, and AgriFlex (abamectin+ thiamethoxam) 18.6% SC on the honeybee workers. These acaricides were chosen based on field observations, where those acaricides were used to control two-spotted spider mites on clover fields. A group of newly emerged honeybee workers was exposed to different dilutions (5, 7, 10, 13, and 15 ppm) of study candidate compounds. The control group was not treated with any acaricides. The mortality percentage was recorded after 24, 48, 72, and 96 hrs after acaricide applications, and LC 50 and LC 90 were calculated. Obtained results showed that everken and agriflex had significantly higher toxicity than ortus. Where LC 50 for everken and agriflex ranged between 2.75 ppm to 7.94 ppm after 24, 48, 72, and 96 hrs of acaricide applications, while ortus recorded 47.1 ppm after 24 hrs. Control treatment had the least honey bee mortality compared to all acaricide applications not exceeding (7%) followed by ortus (36%). Nevertheless, everken and agriflex reach 100% mortality after 96 hrs of the applications. Consequently, these results suggest that ortus can be included in the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program against harmful insects or honey bee pathogens and safe to sustainable, productive, and healthy honeybee stocks for the future.