Assessing in vitro acaricidal effect and joint action of a binary mixture between essential oil compounds (Thymol, Phellandrene, Eucalyptol, Cinnamaldehyde, Myrcene, Carvacrol) over the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae)

BRASESCO C; GENDE L; NEGRI P; SZAWARSK N; IGLESIAS A; EGUARAS M; RUFFINENGO S; MAGGI M

JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL SCIENCE

RESEARCH INST POMOLOGY FLORICULTURE

Año: 2017

1643-4439

Varroa destructor (Anderson & Trueman, 2000) causes the most important parasitosis of beekeeping in the world. For this reason, prevention is needed to avoid colony death. The most usual treatments involve synthetic acaricides. However, the use of these acaricides results in the emergence of resistant populations of mites to these products and in the appearances of drug residues in products of the hives. Compounds of essential oils have emerged as an alternative to traditional acaricides. However, the toxicity produced by its mixtures is currently poorly explored. The aim of this work was to assess, by means of in vitro tests with adult bees, the acaricidal action and the toxic interactions in a binary mixture of essential oil compounds (Thymol, Phellandrene, Eucalyptol, Cinnamaldehyde, Myrcene, and Carvacrol) on V. destructor. The calculations of the LC50´s of the individual compounds on A. mellifera and V. destructor made clear that the toxic effect of each compound is different for both species. Thymol and Phellandrene resulted lethal for mites at lower concentrations than for the bees. And the binary mixture of these two substances presented a different toxicity than the one produced by each pure compound, being highly selective for mites in bioassays at 24 hours by the method of complete exposure on both, A. mellifera and V. destructor. These results make such formulations optimal substances to be considered as alternative control for the parasitosis.