Newly developed versus commercial acaricide formulations for varroa mite control in Ontario honey bee colonies

Lead Applicant: Ernesto Guzman

Research Priority: Animal Health & Welfare

Program Type: Tier 1

Funding Cycle: 2023/2024

Research Centre: NA

Research Summary: Ontario beekeepers have lost more than 30% of their honey bee colonies annually and over 80% of these loses are caused by Varroa destructor mites. For many years we have tested and detected natural compounds that have high acaricidal activity against varroa mites in the lab. These compounds also have the advantage of not being considered toxic to humans, and mites have not yet developed resistance to them. We propose to test several of these compounds using novel formulations and compare them with commercial acaricides at the hive level. Colonies will be evaluated for mite levels before, during and after treatment, bee mortality, winter colony survivorship, spring and summer mite levels and population strength, and honey production. Acacicide residues in honey from colonies subjected to new formulations will be measured. Efficacious and safe formulations will provide new tools to the industry to control the mites and to reduce colony mortality.