Abstract Varroa destructor is one of the important mites of the Western honey bees in Iran and throughout the world. Nosema ceranae is also cause of decreasing honey bee colony population. Herbal extracts are applicable replacement for chemical compounds in order to control bee mites and microsporidian agents. The aim of this study was to determine effects of hydro-alcoholic extracts of thyme and lavender in infected adult worker bees with V. destructor and N. ceranae. Hydro-alcoholic extracts and doses consisting of 2% thyme (2g/100ml) and 2% lavender (2g/100ml) were prepared and employed in treatment groups with three replicates. Dead mites were collected at 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72 hours and efficacy was measured. Twenty examined adult bees were collected at 24, 36, 48, and 72 hours and spores’ reduction were determined. The highest mortality effects of plant extracts of thyme and lavender on V. destructor was 81% and 76% at 48h, respectively. The extracts had significant association with mortality of V. destructor and their efficacies were comparable to Apistan. Decreasing of number of N. ceranae spores was significant in comparing with each plant extracts and their efficacies were comparable to fumagilin. Nosema spores' reduction in bees was 4–5 fold less after extract treatment. The plant extract of thyme had higher antimicrosporidian activity against N. ceranae than lavender and inhibited the development of Nosema spores after 72h of treatment. It is concluded that the extract plants might be applicable alternative compounds in V. destructor and N. ceranae control in bees' colonies.
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Sarhangzadeh et al. (2024) studied this question.
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