EFFICIENCY OF SOME BOTANICAL MATERIALS AS CONTROL AGENTS AGAINST Varroa destructor MITE (ANDERSON AND TRUMAN) INFESTING HONEYBEE COLONIES

The present investigation was carried out during autumn season of 2017 to evaluate the efficiency of some botanical materials in controlling Varroa mite infestation in Carniolan and Italian honeybee colonies, in the Research Apiary of Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt. Results cleared that treating Carniolan and Italian honeybee hybrid colonies with garlic extract, garlic oil, garlic paste, cinnamon extract, Eucalyptus crystals and cinnnamen powder + powdered sugar (1:1) increased significantly numbers of fallen mites, that ranged 175-263 mites/ Carniolan hybrid colony and 128-206 mites/ Italian hybrid colony compared to 27 and 22 fallen mites/ control colony of the two hybrids, respectively. As a results post-treatment percentage of infestalion ranged 5-12% in treated Carniolan colonies, 4-10% in treated Italian ones, regardless of the test agent. Meanwhile, untreated control colonies manifested 27 and 26% infestation for the two respective hybrids. Therefore, the percentage of efficiency of the test botanicals garlic extract‚ garlic oil‚ garlic paste‚ cinnamon extract‚ Eucalyptus crystals and cinnamon powder + powdered sugar (1:1). In Carniolan hybrid colonies recorded 76.54‚ 73.17‚ 66.88‚ 74.86‚ 64.81 and 57.77% against Varroa mite infestation‚ respectively. The respective percentages in Italian hybrid colonies were 78.69‚ 75.76‚ 70.32‚ 73.07‚ 70.85 and 63.56%.