INTRODUCTION

Varroosis is an external parasitosis,difficult to fight, which causes con-siderable economic losses to Apiscerana and Apis mellifica beespecies.In the current context (environmenturbanization, intensive exploitationand chemical processing of agricul-tural lands, expanding the forage areaby reducing biodiversity, transhu-mance, etc.), the classical methods offighting varroosis have become inef-fective and because of this Apis mel-lifera can no longer maintain itsbalance (homeostasis) and cope withparasitic aggression.The questionable efficiency of thecurrently used acaricides allows thepersistence of residual infestation andthe recovery of the Varroa population.This is why it is important for the usedsubstances to be as little aggressiveto bees as possible, for the fightingmethods to be oriented towards al-ternative bio methods, and, bytechnological means, the beesshould be stimulated to defend them-selves also by using their native pro-tection mechanisms. (8, 21)

There are several drugs traders in themarket providing an entire range ofmiticides; however, in many cases,these products are obsolete, con-

taminate beekeeping products withresidues or create resistance. Some-times they are toxic for the operatorand the beekeeper needs protectivegear or sophisticated application de-vices. Overdosing, in most cases,may be hazardous. Many of thesetreatments can be applied only in theactive season, in a combined or al-ternative manner, and most of thetimes success depends on externaltemperature, hive type and thestrength of the bee colony.This is why we care what productswe use. In a professional apiary, withvery many bee colonies, one mustuse a small number of treatments,easy to apply, by simple methods,without leaving residues in beekeep-ing products, and efficient.The continual use of synthesis prod-ucts is limited in time, as strategicprograms may control antibiotic, in-secticide and pesticide residues inbeekeeping products. (3, 13, 24)

The fight against varroosis and asso-ciated diseases is carried out on aglobal scale and is an action com-prised both in European Union Pro-grams and in the National Bee-keeping Program (NBP) implementedin EU member states.By analyzing the medicine it resultsthat BeeVital HiveCleanmeets mostof these requirements.

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FIGHTING VARROOSIS WITHBEEVITAL HIVECLEAN

Dr. Gheorge Dobre

BeeVital HiveClean

BeeVital HiveClean is a productmanufactured by the company Food& Beverage Handels GesmbH.-Aus-tria, authorized for selling and distrib-uted in 15 countries.

Presentation

BeeVital is available for sale in 500mlcontainers and sticks (15 ml). Control(sticky) paper is available under thesame brand.

Composition

Besides natural extracts of propolisand etheric oils, the composition ofBeeVital also comprises the threemain organic acids used in fightingvarroosis (citric, oxalic and formic). Allcompounds are stabilized in sweetwater. By composition, BeeVitalHiveClean is an ecological pest con-trol product (28), recommended for biotreatments by Ecoinspect, Romaniaand CSI Bremen (Annexes 3 and 4).

Mechanism of action

The acarian has adapted so well tothe parasitic lifestyle and to the biol-ogy of the bee that any change initi-ated from outside disrupts theparasite-host cohabitation system(beneficial for pest control). BeeVitaloperates in a complex manner, bothon the olfactory and gustatorychemoreceptors of the acarian, whichmodifies its behavior, and on the beecolony, which triggers the groomingbehavior. The correct use of BeeVitalHiveClean does not have any negativeinfluence upon the bees, the brood or

the queen. The association of com-ponents in view of enhancing the anti-parasitic effect has proven advant-ageous. All the substances in thecomposition of BeeVital, taken sep-arately, have been or are used in fight-ing varroosis (11, 14, 18), but the efficiencyof each of these is rarely close to90%. However, this association re-duces the quantity of active sub-stances introduced in the hive, thusenhancing their effect. By using verylaborious detection techniques, it hasbeen found thatBeeVital HiveClean,applied according to instructions andby taking into consideration the biol-ogy of the parasite, is not addictive,does not leave residues and in time itsefficiency is close to 100%.By changing the main microclimatecharacteristics in the bee colony, theproduct disorients the parasites,which, given the fact that they areblind, perceive this situation as achange of the habitat and leave or dis-turb their hosts. Recent observationsshow that after treatment, the beesbecome calmer, and the colony trig-gers the grooming behavior. Acariansare removed by grooming (crushed ormutilated); they fall on the bottom ofthe hive and die (22, 23). The result maybe noticed only on the bottom of the

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Mesh bottom board Foto: Archiv

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hive, by using the screened bottomboard (also known as open meshfloor-photo 7).

Main Characteristicsof Product

BeeVital HiveClean (16)

We consider that the table below syn-thesizes themain qualities ofBeeVitalHiveClean, each star representing anunquestionable value, and ultimatelythese summed values signify a 5-starvalue, a symbol that is also present onthe label of the product. (15)

When to useBeeVital HiveClean

Main treatments are administered atthe end of summer-beginning of au-tumn, when the first wintering bees

appear and in winter during thebroodless period, over the winteringcluster, when there is no more sealedbrood in the colony.Intervention (secondary) treatmentsare applied as an immediate solution,in February-April, when pollen is for-aged and, as the case may be whenone finds a large number of acariansin the active growth period of thebrood (May-June or July-August).Control treatments (diagnostic) arenecessary when one notices the invo-lution of the bee colony. By taking intoconsideration the fact that the clinicalsigns of varroosis are noticeable onlyin the advanced stages of infestation,it is important for the diagnosis to beperformed in the apiary and, as thecase may be, for the disease to beconfirmed in a laboratory. The treat-ment is applied by periodical repeti-

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The treatment acts in time and its efficiency is over 95%. The med-icine maintains its effect between 6 and 10 days after administration.

BeeVital has no adverse effects on brood, adult bees or queens anddoes not cause resistance to treatment. Accidental overdosing cre-ates no problems in the bee colony.

BeeVital is easy to apply, it does not require difficult technologies orprotection measures for the operator, it is beneficial also as an ad-juvant in fighting other diseases (mycoses, other parasitoses, etc.)

It may be used all year round (when the outside temperature is be-tween -1o and 25oC) nomatter the physiological state of the bee colony.

Its formulation is based only on natural ingredients (ecological prod-uct) and leaves no residues in honey or in other beekeeping products.

Table 1 MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OFPRODUCT HiveClean (16)

tion, at adequate time intervals, bytaking into consideration the extentand intensity of the Varroa infestation,the specific nature of the parasites bi-ology and the evolution of the beecolony.

How to useBeeVital HiveClean

When one uses BeeVital, it is impor-tant to comply with the instructions ofthe manufacturer. Only in this mannercan the beekeeper maintain the bee

colonies in a good state of health, withhigh productivity, reducing the Varroapopulation to the minimum.The product must be heated at thetemperature of the human body andthe container shaken well before ap-plication. Dribble approximately 15 mlof BeeVital HiveClean into 7-8 gapsbetween frames in the middle of thehive, directly onto the bees (photo 12).One application is efficient until day 8,but acarian falls may continue for sev-eral days, depending on the degree ofinfestation. When there is sealed

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Table 2 TREATMENT CALENDAR (Northern Hemisphere)

Month Period No. of treatments Observations

February-April

When thepollen foragingbegins

1-3 treatmentswith BeeVitalHiveCleanevery 7 days

Depending on the presence ofacarians in the detritus(residue on the bottom of thehive) during the spring apiaryoverhaul

May-July

Duringforaging

1-3 treatmentswith BeeVitalHiveCleanevery 7 days

Only when needed.Depending on acarianfalls

August-October

After honeyextraction

1-3 treatmentswith BeeVitalHiveCleanevery 7 days

Main treatment

November-December

When there isno moresealed brood

1 treatment withBeeVital Hive-Cleanevery 7 days

Main treatmentOutside Temperatureover -1oC

Legend: Efficient control of Varroa infestation may be obtained only by good knowledge of theacarian biology and by observing the treatments calendar, conceived according to the several pe-riods of bee colony development. Determining the level of infestation prior to treatment is neededand it is advantageous from economical viewpoint. However, performing control treatments is pos-sible at any time of the year, even in the presence of the wintering cluster. The result may be ob-served by any beekeeper that has screened bottom boards and control paper, in the conditions ofan outside temperature exceeding -10 Celsius.

brood in the colony, it is necessary toexecute three successive applica-tions, at one-week intervals, by drib-bling the liquid over the bees, in dosesof 15 ml of BeeVital per colony, inorder to remove the acarians that ap-pear at eclosion of the brood. In theactive period, in case of hives heavilypopulated with bees, it is necessaryto remove wax bridges. In the case offrames that are not covered by bees,the beekeeper has to reduce the nestby eliminating these frames. On hotdays, the treatment should be appliedlate in the afternoon, when all thebees are in the hive. One must avoidtreating largely depopulated beecolonies, until one finds out the causefor which the colony has devolved.Success in fighting varroosis dependson how fast beekeepers, by takinginto consideration EU requirementson the quality of beekeeping prod-ucts, shall implement modern pestcontrol strategies.

THE BEE COLONY

Worldwide, bees live from close to theArctic Circle to the equator. One can-not describe the annual biological

cycle of a bee colony without speci-fying the latitude of the location wherethe respective bee colony lives.A bee colony can grow harmoniouslyonly when it is in biological balance.

The bee colonyannual cycle

At the beginning of the active period,the main activity of the bee colonyconsists of nursing the brood and itssubsequent evolution is related to theexistence of food and the possibilitiesof procuring and accumulating re-serves. In the temperate climate area(parallels 44-46) the queen starts lay-ing eggs in January, the colonyreaches its growth peak at the end ofJune, the decline starts in July, whenthe day duration starts decreasing, andin the middle of October the queenstops laying eggs. The last eclosiontakes place at the end of November.Correlated with altitude, in the moun-tains, at over 1,000 m, the active stageis shorter, but also more intense, andin the field regions, the wintering stageis shorter, but in this case, summercorresponds to a regression caused bythe drought. The rains at the beginningof autumn, if any, may generate a revi-talization of vegetation and the activityof bees may be resumed. In this case,the growth curve has two peaks: oneat the beginning of summer and an-other in autumn.

Labor relationshipsbetween bees

The social life and the organization ofindividuals in the colony depends onthe season and on their physiological

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Treatment with BeeVital HiveClean stick.Foto: BeeVital Archive

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necessities. Thus, the division of labor,the functions of nutrition, breathingand defense manifested both individ-ually and socially entitle us to considerthe bee colony as a superorganism,and wemay define its swarming as anasexual reproduction.Labor relationships between bees,within the colony, are related to: build-ing combs, cleaning cells, feeding thebrood, processing nectar, storingpollen, ventilating the nest and de-fense. Outside the colony, bees per-form orientation flights, bringwater andtake part in foraging nectar, pollen andpropolis. In addition, a situation of dan-ger triggers the defense mechanism.

Instinctual activities andbehavior patterns

From the multitude of the bee colonyactivities and behavior patterns, wemay enumerate several instinct-drivenones: foraging, nectar processing,pollen storage, swarming, recognizinghive mates, caste differentiation, su-persedure, driving out of drones, beedance, hygienic and grooming behav-ior, propolisation, etc. Or activities andbehaviors generated by factors whichare external to the colony, such as: de-fense, states of alarm which lead toagitation and even aggressiveness, orthose generated by human interven-tion, when normal or unexplainable be-havior patterns occur. These occur byactions triggered or regulated by theaction of ancestral stimuli and mecha-nisms, instinctually guided, usually byspecific chemoreactions, and the bee-keeper attempts to control them byvarious interventions (smoke, sprayswith water or various other sub-stances, etc.)

Bee colony evolutionand involution

In order to keep and use the bees ac-cording to their natural growth, themainpreoccupation of the beekeeper is tomaintain the biological balance (home-ostasis) of the bee colony. When a beecolony start devolving, one must care-fully examine and establish the causethat has generated this state. The exis-tence of queenless, weak, depopulatedfamilies, incapable of defending them-selves against aggression, with wide-open openings, with cracks or withinadequate nest organization, consti-tute a predisposition to or sign of dis-ease. The causes which lead todevolution are either an inadequatequeen bee (exhausted or fecundatedby related drones), or old, deformed ormoth-attacked combs, brood diseases(foul brood, chalk brood, stone brood,etc.), or a strong attack of Nosema orVarroa.

Defense complex in bees

The basis for maintaining the health ofliving organisms in the animal regnumconsists of systems and complexes ofdefense against pathogens (protozoa,fungi, bacteria, viruses, etc.), whichhave evolved and perfected on thephylogenetic scale. In insects, thesesystems, although existent, have beenscarcely researched (7).Disease evolution and pathogenic im-pact are influencedby the host-parasiterelationship, both on an individual andon a population level, and the defensecomplex is manifested both on an indi-vidual level and on the level of thecolony as a collective defense system.On an individual level, defense mech-

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anisms are internal and protective (ex-ternal). Internal mechanisms (immun-ity) are congenital and acquired, arebased on humoral and free cellular el-ements and represent the capability ofthe bee organism to know the self andreject the not self. The hemolymphcontains free cells, with phagocytizingrole, but also humoral componentswith antibacterial action (lysozyme,apidecines). The food administered tothe larvae contains antimicrobial sub-stances. In the intestinal cavity, butalso on the exterior, there are cells thatsecrete anti-infectious substances.External (protective) mechanisms arebased on the integrity of anatomicaland physiological barriers (chitin cov-ering, intersegmental membrane, in-testinal wall). These mechanisms canbe annihilated on the exterior by ec-toparasites such as acarians Varroaand Acarapis and on the inside byNosema protozoa.Besides these individual defensemechanisms, the bee colony ensuresits anti-infectious protection andhomeostasis on a superorganism level(collective defense), by maintainingthermal conditions in the nest, by in-terrupting the egg laying in drought andnectar scarcity periods, by larval foodcontaining anti-infectious substancesand by phytoncides foraged from na-ture, found in pollen and nectar.The colony also reacts as a socialcommunity in order to face infectiousaggression, by defense behavior, byhygienic behavior (removing infectedbees and sick brood), by self-cleaningbehavior, grooming behavior (photos3a, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4b, 4c) or by leaving thestrongly infected or parasitic nest. (5, 7,20) Behavioral mechanisms occur byinstinct and are part of the patrimony

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Acarian mutilated by bees, damage of acca-rian shield, dorsal view. Photo: Mgr inz. Maciej Howis

Acarian mutilated by bees, damage of aca-rian shield, ventral view Photo: Mgr inz. Maciej Howis

Acarian mutilated by bees, multiple dama-ges: shield, broken limbs, etc ...

Photo: Mgr inz. Maciej Howis

3a

3b

3c

(the genetic heritage of the species).The way in which these mechanismsoccur is little known and cannot be to-tally controlled by man, but neverthe-less, by knowing them, one caninfluence them (hinder, trigger or favor).The grooming behavior is present inseveral animal species and is knownand described in bees, especially inApis cerana. Acarians (parasites) canbe removed and harmed (mutilated),a process which is triggered by indi-vidual grooming action or by a collec-tive activity (grooming dance), and inApis mellifera by natural mechanismsor by using BeeVital. (22, 23)The individual defensemechanisms ofthe bee colony, its hygienic behaviorand its grooming behavior may be en-hanced and consolidated by selectionor stimulated by various techniquesand methods. (5) Selection is a labori-ous, costly and long-lasting action,while measures of disease preventionand of stimulating these instincts areavailable to beekeepers, are lesscostly and may be applied to any beecolony.

One must treat the colony asa whole, not the individual

The bee colony, as a whole, has mul-tiple reaction capabilities, which is un-derstood or not by the beekeeper whosupervises their activity. Before start-ing a treatment, one must estimatethe strength of the bee colony and itsreaction capability (prognosis). De-pending on the result of the apprecia-tion (diagnosis), one decides whetherto maintain it as such, to unify it undertreatment or suppress it. Bees in a de-volving colony represent a source ofinfection for the apiary, as they can no

longer satisfy their individual or col-lective necessities and they die.

Integratedpest management

Integrated fighting is based on know-ing the environment and the livingpopulation dynamics that exists in acertain area.In applying the strategy of integratedfighting against parasitoses, one musttake into consideration all the ec-toparasites that may coexist (Varroa,Braula, Acarapis, etc.) and establish,by laboratory examinations, adequatefighting procedures. For fighting, onemust use all accessible means (me-chanical, physical, chemical and bio-logical) depending on the season, thephysiological state of the bee colony,and all the growth stages of the para-sitic biological cycles. The concept ofintegrated pest management impliesmaintaining the pest population onlevels that do not cause economicdamages. The uncontrolled use ofchemical products has not eradicatedvarroosis but induced the acarian re-sistance, and the presence ofresidues has generated unfavorable(adverse) effects both on man and onthe environment. Integrated PestManagement (IPM) is a scientificallyjustified principle with the main objec-tive of reducing residues in agriculturaland alimentary products, by limitingthe use of pesticide treatment.

BIOLOGY AND BEHAVOIUROF VARROA SP. ACARIAN

Currently, varroosis is a panzooticwhich has engulfed the entire worldand endemically threatens the exis-

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tence as a species of the honeybee.Taxonomically, the acarian is part ofVarroidae family, Varroa variety. Thereare various species in bees: V. jacob-soni (Oudemans 1904); V. underwoodi(DelfinadoBaker & Aggarwall 1987);V. rindereri (Guzman & Delfinado-Baker 1986); V. destructor (Anderson& Trueman 2000). (7)

Acarian Varroa destructor, presentalso in Europe, is the most aggressiveexternal parasite of the honeybee, asit affects the entire adult population(worker bees, drones, queen), as wellas the juvenile stages of growth, start-ing with that of larva, 9 days of age.The development of the acarian startswith the birth of the brood and endswith the end of the egg-laying processof the queen bee. (1)

The parasite inserts itself between thechitin plates of adult bees, where itpenetrates the intersegmental tegu-ment and ingests the hemolymph. Byperforating the intersegmental mem-branes, it is responsible for dissemi-nating and maintaining viruses in thebee colony. The parasitic activity ofthe mite is very damaging, it weakensthe organism of the bee, reduces itslifecycle and favors the occurrence ofbacterial and mycotic diseases. (1, 7, 11)

For reproduction, it penetrates droneor worker bee brood cells shortly be-fore sealing. The acarian is attractedtowards the bee chemically, thermallyand by vibration. (11, 12). After sealing, itlays up to 7 eggs at 1-2-day intervals.Some of them, by metamorphosis,reach the stage of adulthood. Theglobal fertility of the acarian is influ-enced by the development cycle ofthe bee colony and by the tempera-ture of the environment.The female has an oval-shaped body,

with the anterior-posterior diametersmaller than the lateral diameter. Theanatomical peculiarities of the femalecertify its strong adaptation to para-sitic life. The shape of the body andits suckers ensure a solid attachmentof the acarian on the body of the bee.Moreover, during feeding, its attach-ment is completed by the action ofchelicerae. Both the body and the ap-pendix (pedipalps and legs) are cov-ered by numerous hairs, which forman elastic covering, preventing the im-mobilization of the female (betweenthe cocoon and the nymph), and be-tween the chitin plates (tergites / ster-nites) of the adult bee. The attach-ment of the acarian on the bee is fa-cilitated by the featherlike conforma-tion of the hairs on the ventral side ofthe Varroa female, which operates asa zipper with the also featherlike hairson the body of the bee. The absenceof the anal valvula facilitates excretionin limited space, and the mobility ofthe proximal extremities of theperithermal tube ensures properbreathing in various conditions. Theacarian hides between abdominalsternites, where they overlay over thewax mirror, where it is usually pro-tected against the cleaning actions ofthe bee and the beekeepers eyes. (1, 11)

The male is smaller than the femaleand remains in the sealed cells, withthe juveniles. The color of the tegu-ment is grey-whitish or yellowish andlacks chitin. The mating takes place inthe cell, before the eclosion of thebees. After mating the males die. Thefemales lay eggs only on bee larvae.Acarian eggs are milky-white in color.The first-laid egg is a female, the sec-ond is a male, and the rest are fe-males. The determination of the

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gender of the descendants dependson the fecundation or non- fecunda-tion of the oocyte. During the activeperiod, the fecundated females arefound on bees or in sealed cells, withbrood (in a ratio of 1/3 1/6). Theymay be founding females, which mayinitiate a new cycle, young females,fecundated by their brothers andwhich will initiate their first cycle or un-mated females who, in the next stagewill initiate their own first parteno-genetic cycle, followed by normalones.Dissemination in the hive is performedonly by females, the acarian movesalong the frames and to the bees, ofwhich they attach by their suckers. Onthe body of the bees the Varroa fe-males move very easily and find theirfavorite attachment position, usuallybetween the first abdominal chitinsegments (photo 1).Sensory organs on their first pair oflegs perform orientation; their mainstimuli are vibrations, smell, taste andtemperature. The first pair of legs hasa small sensory cavity (photo 9), withchemoreceptor sensiles which act asolfactory organs. At the base of thefirst pair of legs there are olfactory andgustative sensiles and mobile pedi-palps with a tactile role (photo 10).These represent sensory organs thatcontrol the reactions of the femaleacarian in the environment (attach-ment to the bees, penetration in thecell before sealing, perforating thetegument and feeding, etc.) (12)

The juveniles (larva, protonymph, deu-tonymph) and the males do not leavethe comb cells, while female mayleave them. The feeding is performedby repeated contact with the he-molymph, by perforating the interseg-

mental tegument of the worker bee orthe drone, or by perforating the larvalepidermis. For reproduction, the fe-male prefers drone brood to workerbee brood. When a female penetratesa drone cell, the evolutionary cycle be-comes longer, and there may be asmany as 7 eggs, and during the waxremoval there may be as many as 2young fecundated females and one

Bee with Varroa mite Foto: Archiv

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Control sheet Foto: BeeVital

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unfecundated one. Thus, in a dronecell, especially in July, there are at least1-3 female acarians, or even more,while in a worker bee cell usually thereis one female. By the rapacious actionon the bee brood, the Varroa femaleprolongs the sealing period, favoringthe growth of its descendants andthus enhancing its prolific nature. Thenumber of reproductive cycles of aVarroa female in one year is 3-4, but itmay be as many as 7. The lifecycle ofthe female is 2-3 months in summerand 6-8 months in winter.The maximum number of parasites isat the end of the active season, whenthe first signs of disease are also rec-ognized. In autumn the females focuson the last worker bee brood, and in acell there may be several females. Thecritical level of infestation of the workerbee brood is 10%of the cells, and overthis level the family faces extinction. Inthe colonies which are not treated inthe autumn the degree of infestation ofthe worker bee brood can be almost50%, and in every worker bee cellthere can be several adult females (1).An average infestation of 10% of theworker bee brood cells corresponds

to an average infestation of 40% ofthe drone brood cells. Our observa-tions according to the mesh bottomboard show that the natural mortality(acarian falls) intensify starting withMay and reach a peak depending onthe intensity of the invasion in July-August.It appears that the Varroa female cansurvive at a temperature of 25 de-grees Celsius and a relative humidityof 50%, without food, for 3-5 days,even more. At the end of the bee-keeping season, the fecundated Var-roa females attach between theabdominal chitin plates (tergites /sternites) of young bees, where theywill winter. They will immediately pen-etrate the cells of the spring brood.In a bee colony that is not treated inthe autumn, the number of acariansmay vary from hundreds to thou-sands the stronger the bee colonyand the more brood, the more acari-ans there are.

Acarian pathogenicity

Varroa acts on adult bees, larvae andpupae by: weight loss; morphological

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Photo: Schweizerisches Zentrum fr Bienenforschung Photo: Schweizerisches Zentrum fr Bienenforschung

109

deformity; reduction of the secretionof hypo-pharyngeal glands; reducingthe protein level of the hemolymph;contamination with viral particles orother infectious germs; reducing waxsecretion and lifecycle, etc., and overthe bee colony by: depopulation, ab-normal brood, attack of opportunisticgerms. The pathogenicity of the acar-ian is not only a complex individual-colony phenomenon, but it also variesdepending on the factors that may in-fluence the homeostasis of the beecolony (6, 7, 17).

Population unbalanceof the bee colony

The weakening of the bee colony oc-curs because of the reduced viabilityof descendants, which are not capa-ble of ensuring the normal activity ofthe colony. The seriousness of the ef-fects on the newly eclosioned bees isalso influenced by the number offounding Varroa females, and by theirdescendants that have fed with thehemolymph of the nymph. Severe in-festation may cause its death beforeeclosure. The overloading of the bodyof the bee with acarians and the con-sumption of hemolymph reduces theflight capabilities of the bee and influ-ences biological performance withinits colony. The capability of the acar-ian to be a vector for pathogens is an-other hazard that must not beneglected (1, 6, 8, 11).

Epizootology

Parasitic families represent infestationsources. Abandoned and sanitarilyunchecked apiaries, as well as feralswarms, are focal points for spread-

ing the disease. The bees carryingVarroa females facilitate the infesta-tion of vulnerable colonies. Thespread of the acarian is ensured bylost bees, robbing bees, drones, bythe introduction in the apiary ofswarms with unknown origin, by theintroduction of queens with uncon-trolled accompanying bees. The dif-fusion of the disease on large terri-tories is performed especially by pas-toral bee activities, in which untreatedor insufficiently treated bees takepart. It is possible that wasps alsoplay a vector role in transmitting var-roosis.The disease is unnoticeable in thefirst year, becomes apparent in thesecond year and threatens the ex-tinction of the colony in the third year,when the acarian-bee ration may be20:100 (1).

APIARY HEALTHSUPERVISION

(Varroosis Diagnosis)

Only the permanent sanitary-veteri-nary supervision and continuous pre-vention and fighting of disease willhelp one diagnose and control the de-gree of infection, avoiding in this waythe surprise of explosive manifesta-tions of these conditions. Laboratorytesting is a must, as many diseasescannot be diagnosed clinically, evolvein a hidden, asymptomatic manner,and once the bee family starts col-lapsing, there is no more recovery.The experience of previous years,even in less deleterious conditions,shows us that the lack of action dras-tically diminishes the livestock andmay compromise beekeeping growthover the following 3-5 years.

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What does one determineand how does one inter-

pret the results?

The health state in case of varroosisis monitored in apiary or in laboratory,on live bees, by direct observation, byuncapping drone and/or worker beebrood and in a permanent manner byusing the screened bottom board. Infighting Varroa we have to take intoconsideration the physiological stateof the bee colony and the biologicalcycle of the acarian.Prevalence: Total number of cases orfocal points (frequency of the dis-ease);Invasion extension: Presence ofparasites in the environment (on thelevel of the apiary) = Examined sam-ples / positive samples (%);Incidence: Number of cases or focalpoints in a population;Intensity (host/parasite ratio on thelevel of the bee colony), amplitude,degree of parasitic infestation.Counted acarians are related to thenumber of bees calculated to exist inthe hive at the moment of the deter-mination. The quantity of bees in acolony is to be estimated taking intoconsideration the number of intervalsbetween frames. In average there canbe between 10,000 and 40,000 beesin a production colony (150-270grams/interval)Host/parasite ratio: must be known inits dynamics, and the intensity may beconsidered weak, average or strong(devastating) (25)Not supervising the evolution of a dis-ease leads to a situation of not reallyknowing its extension and how im-portant the losses might be. Theanalysis and evolution of these indi-

cators allow us to appreciate in an ef-ficient manner the efficacy of the ap-plied fighting means, and the successin keeping varroosis under control.

DIAGNOSIS PROCEDURESANDMETHODS OF FIGHTING

Apiary examinations

At the beginning of wintering, onemustperform a control treatment. Overwin-teringmust be supervised by brief revi-sions; at the endofwintering period, themain revision must be performed andthe detritus collected on the bottom ofthe hive must be examined. During theactive season acarian falls must bechecked bymeans of screened bottomboard and the sealed brood (photo 6)has to be examined microscopically.Depending on the level of infestationand taking into consideration the calen-dar (see table 2), one or several treat-ments need to be applied.

Observations on thescreened bottom board

The screenedbottomboard collects theacarians fallen off the bees (photo 7),retains insect larvae (moths) and allthe residues removed or fallen fromthe hive. It also offers the benefit ofelimination of carbon dioxide duringwinter and ensures proper ventilationduring transportation (the bees nevercover the bottommesh with propolis).In order to evaluate the degree of Var-roa parasitic infestation, one placeswhite sticky paper on the metallic trayof the mesh bottom board andcounts the number of parasites fallenon it. The natural mortality of the acar-ians observed in summer time as well

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as analyses of the collected detritus inwinter time supply us valuable dataregarding the intensity of the infesta-tion (7, 8, 11). If, at the end of summer, thenumber of fallen parasites exceeds 30in 24 hours, it means that the situationrequires immediate action.Table 3 shows the correlation be-tween natural fall of acarians, the de-

gree of parasitic infestation of the beecolony in the active season betweenJune 15 and August 15, as well as thenecessary actions to be performed. Inorder to diminish the losses of beecolonies due to Varroa infestation theevolution of the diseasemust bemon-itored all year round using the meshbottom board.

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Daily acarianfalls Parasitic infestation degree Measures

0 - 8 Weak = under 100 acarians Control repetition

8 - 15 Moderate = 100 1,000 acarians Treatment

15 - 30 High = 1,000 2,000 acarians Immediatetreatment

Over 30 Over 30Critical = over 2,000acarians

Complex fightingmeasures

Table 3 APPRECIATING THE DEGREE OF INFESTATIONBY NATURAL ACARIAN FALLS

WARNING! During the winter, when one notices on the bottom board morethan one acarian in every two days, the bee colony may perish until the end ofthe season and in this case a treatment in the wintering cluster with a sub-stance which is adequate to that moment is required.

In February March, the level of in-festation of the bee colony is exam-ined by method of sieving or flotationof the samples taken (collected de-tritus). The collection is dried for 24-48 hours. One can examine it byseparating the impurities by sieving(system of sieves with 3; 2; 1.6; 1 mmmesh) and/or the detritus is mixedwith ethanol; the residues from wax,

propolis, wood, bee remains, sedi-ment on the bottom of the container,and the parasites remain on the sur-face of the washing (immersion) liq-uid, in this way they may beexamined and counted. The degreeof infestation is determined by relat-ing the number of found acarians tothe estimated bee population in thehive (7).

Control treatmentswith acaricides

At any time during the active periodwemay diagnose the intensity (ampli-tude) of the Varroa infestation of thebee colonies by the method of controltreatments with acaricides, at over90% accuracy.The control treatments with acaricidesmay be applied in any period of theyear by using BeeVital HiveClean,even in the wintering cluster. The re-sult is noticeable by any beekeeperwho has screened bottom boards,adhesive paper to retain parasites andadequate temperature conditions(over 0 degrees Celsius).The control treatment must be appliedto at least 5% of the hives. If, at theend of summer, the number of acari-ans fallen in 24 hours exceeds 30 in-dividuals, it is necessary to start thetreatment immediately.

Observations on thesealed brood

By uncapping drone brood, one de-termines the infestation percentageexamining 100 cells and counting thenumber of infested ones (photo 6).Correlating this number with the sur-face of existent sealed drone broodwe find out the number of infesteddrone cells in the colony. In order todetermine the number of acarians inthe colony, we use 10 as a multiplica-tion factor (mentioned in the special-ized literature). A parasitic infestationlevel higher than 4% imposes the im-mediate application of the treatment.By uncapping worker bee brood(n=200) one identifies not only the in-festation on the nymphs, but also im-

mature bees and/or bees with de-formed wings which might unbalancethe bee colony after eclosion (3, 8, 16).

Control on live bees

This is the most frequently usedmethod both by specialists and bybeekeepers. By clinical observationone determines the presence or ab-sence of the acarian on the bees. Inorder to reach the detection threshold,the observation should be performedearly in the morning, when foragingbees have not left yet. In order toapply the control method on live bees,the live bees may be harvested by a

15

Uncapped drone brood. Photo: National Refernce Lab ofthe National Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health, Bucharest (X20)

6

portable aspirator or by shaking theminto a paper bag. In order to be signif-icant, the sample must contain atleast 200 bees. Both in the apiary andin the laboratory one may use severalexamination techniques: the ethermethod, stirring in alcohol, in waterwith various solvents, with detergent0.1%, by using acaricide strips ordusting the bees with powder sugarin a recipient with a perforated cap.More simply, one can freeze them ordry them and determine the parasiticpercentage by sieving and countingthe mites, thus establishing howmanyparasites have fallen from 100 bees.In the active period, when the egg lay-ing of the queen is at its maximum ca-pacity, the ratio between the numberof acarians on the bees (approxi-mately 15%) and the number of acar-ians in the brood cells (about 85%) is1 to 6. When the presence of broodreduces this ratio is 1 to 3, and whenit is absent, we no longer need a cor-

rection factor. Between July and Sep-tember, when the egg laying is signif-icantly reduced, the number of beesdecreases, the colony is depopulated,and the percentage of acarians on100 live bees may increase from 6%to over 35%.By knowing the biology of the para-site, when one appreciates the num-ber of acarians in a bee colony, onemust take into consideration that thisnumber may be influenced by the cur-rent season, by the strength of thecolony and by the manner and condi-tions in which the treatment has beenor is applied.

Laboratory examinations

If one does not know the epidemio-logical situation of an apiary and theadministered treatments, in order todetermine as exactly as possible thedegree of varroa infestation it is nec-essary to perform clinical examina-tions in the apiary, which need to beperformed bymeans of laboratory ex-aminations: sugar dusting, washing inalcohol, washing with 0.1% detergent,examining the detritus. Laboratory ex-aminations performed within thestrategic program of supervision, pre-vention and fighting of bee diseaseswill confirm and complete the obser-vations made in the apiary (15).Of all the diseases affecting the bees,varoosis (and associated diseases)represent one the most importantcauses of losses in apiaries, world-wide. For this reason, the Varroa con-trol methods must take into con-sideration both the incidence and theprevalence of varroosis and the biol-ogy of the parasite and the dynamicsof the disease.

16

Control sheet from mesh bottom board withdebris Photo: National Refernce Lab of the

National Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health, Bucharest -

8

INFORMATION ONVARIOUS INTERVENTIONSWITH BeeVital HiveClean

BeeVital HiveClean is manufac-tured in Austria and sold in over 15countries, out of which 13 are in theEuropean Union. The qualities of thisproduct have been tested and com-pared with other antivarroa products(Apiguard, Thimovar, Perizin, Api-oxal, Apilaifvar, Bipin, Fumisan,etc.) by numerous experiments atHochenheim University of Germany(H. Horn - 2003), at Ages Institute ofVienna (R. Moosbeckhofer - 2005),at the National Zootechny and Vet-erinary Medicine Institute of Chisinau(Valentina Cebotari - 2006), at NigdeUniversity of Turkey (E. Akyol et al -2008), at Apiculture Section of ISK inPuawy, Poland (K. Pohorecka -2009) etc.Extended research of BeeVital Hive-Clean is currently carried out (Sep-tember 2009) in the Institute forDiagnosis and Animal Health inBucharest, Romania due to a collab-oration protocol with the RomanianNational Reference Laboratory forHoney Bee Diseases in order to in-vestigate the existence of a relationbetween hygienic behavior of bees,crippled or squashed Varroa mitesand Bee Vital treatments. Fightingvarroasis with BeeVital was moni-tored for a long period in apiaries inAustria, Hungary, Poland and Roma-nia (2, 9, 10, 17, 22, 23, 25).Using BeeVital is recommended forecological beekeeping by organicagriculture inspection and certificationorganisms in Romania (Ecoinspect) orGermany (CSI - Bremen) (annexes 3and 4).

CONCLUSIONS

Supervision of beecolonies, evaluation of theextent and intensity of thevarroa infestation andapplied treatments.

We benefit from the experience ofmore than four decades of fightingthis acarian but we see how produc-tion capabilities diminish, the mortal-ity of affected families remains atalarming levels, varroosis and associ-ated diseases continue to spread andcause damages.Fighting has become difficult andcomplex because of the multitude ofepizootological factors. It is difficult tocontrol the evolution of the disease,because of the biological peculiaritiesof the bee colony and often with poorresults, because of the lack of reliabil-ity of acaricides or difficult to foreseeepizootological situations, as the dis-ease passes from one apiary to an-other or it is transmitted by wasps.Without controlling the efficacy oftreatments and adequately using theavailable techniques, blind treat-ments will induce a false view of se-curity regarding the health of bees.Precious information may be obtainedby use of screened bottom boards,but also by uncapping drone broodand by examinations of adult bees.

Importance of thescreened bottom board

In order to minimize the damagescaused in apiaries, the evolution ofvarroosis in the bee colonies must besupervised at all times, and fightingmeasures must be applied by taking

17

into consideration the physiologicalstate of the bee colony and the bio-logical cycle of the acarian. The per-manent monitoring of the health stateof the bee colony (the degree of infes-tation) is performed by using thescreened bottom board (photo 7). Thenatural mortality of acarians, observedduring the summer, but also the analy-sis of the detritus collected in winterprovide concrete data regarding theintensity of the infestation (7, 8 ,11).

How to choose medication?

One cannot randomly use any regis-tered medicine, imposed or analyzedonly by the price view point.The medicine must be highly effi-cient andmaintain its effect for a longperiod after administration, as duringthe active season only 15% of acari-ans are to be found on bees, and theremaining 85% or even more are inthe brood cells (photo 2).The medicine must not influencethe health of beesAn anti-parasitic treatment is effectiveif it ensures maximum results withminimum risks for the bee colony.Theapplication (administration) tech-niques must be easy and must notcreate either adverse reactions in thebee population or dysfunctions for theoperator. Fumigation, evaporation, sub-limation or spraying implies constanttemperatures and specialized devices.The application period must not beinfluenced by the period of activity orrest of the bee colony, and the treat-ment must be available at all times.The medicine must not contami-nate the products of the hiveThe compliance with the strategicprograms of preventing and fighting

diseases and the requirements of theEuropean Union on ensuring the qual-ity of beekeeping products is a vital,non-negotiable necessity. Conversionfrom conventional to ecological api-aries is a major objective for any Eu-ropean country (4, 24).The medicine must not induce re-sistance to acariansBoth pyrethroids (fluvalinate, flu-methrin) and other synthesis chemicalsubstances (amitraz) induce resist-ance. Moreover, amitraz inducescross resistance (18).

Why we recommendBeeVital HiveClean

Currently there is no other product onthe market, tested and registered withthe Institutes of Biological and Veteri-nary Product Control that may be ap-plied risk-free, both in winter and inany other period of the year (Table 1).By using BeeVital HiveClean maxi-mum results are obtained with mini-mum risks to the bee colony as awhole, and on an individual level(worker bee, queen).With BeeVital HiveClean we actagainst Varroa with efficient and non-pollutant means, even in the winteringcluster. In EU the National Beekeep-

18

Parasite on a bee larva. Photo: BeeVital Archiv

2

ing Program subsidizes the antivarroatreatments; in some EU memberstates organic apiaries benefit fromadditional financial support and an im-portant component consists in finan-cial aid for bio means of controllingVarroa, BeeVital HiveClean being oneof the few options in this case.

Ensuring the quality ofbeekeeping products

European Union consumers generalorientation towards the consumptionof natural products and the extremesensitivity to the issue of food residuesdemand us, as suppliers of agriculturalproducts, extreme care in fighting beediseases. Unlike many other foodproducts, the main risks for beekeep-ing products are chemical ones, espe-cially because of medicine treatmentsapplied on bee colonies.The honey considered as natural andpure must be free of any residues. ByusingBeeVital, which is an ecologicalproduct, we ensure this desiderate.The quality of beekeeping products isalso ensured by complying with strate-gic programs of preventing and fight-ing diseases and the requirements onbeekeeping best practice guides andproduct traceability (4, 24).Success in fighting varroosis will de-pend on how fast beekeepers, takinginto consideration the EU requirementson the quality of beekeeping products,will adopt modern fighting strategies.Let us not forget that, in time, the dis-ease was favored in its evolution bytwo subjective factors: the lack ofknowledge on pathogenesis and theunderestimation of the damagescaused by the acarian due the lack ofsanitary supervision.

19

Mutilated acarian, multiple damage,dorsal view. Photo: National Refernce Lab of the

National Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health, Bucharest ( X 20 )

Mutilated acarian, crushed shield.Photo: National Refernce Lab of the

National Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health, Bucharest ( X 20 )

Mutilated acarian, immature stage multipledamage. Photo: National Refernce Lab of the

National Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health, Bucharest ( X 20 )

4a

4b

4c

20

ANNEX1

CONTROLOFVARROOSISIN

THEAPIARY

Controlbyclinicalexam

inations

intheapiary

(n=200;*acariansin100individuals;**immaturebeesorbeeswithdeform

edwings%)

OBSER-

VATION

METHOD

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

OBSER-

VATIONS

Uncapping

ofdrone

brood*

>10%

>10%

>10%

Immediate

treatm

ent

Examination

ofw

orker

bee

brood**

>5%

>5%

Immediate

treatm

ent

Controlon

200adult

bees

>5%

>5%

>5%

>5%

>5%

>5%

>5%

>5%

>5%

>5%

Immediate

treatm

ent

Examina-

tionof

detritus

>5%

Immediate

treatm

ent

21

CONTROLBYSCREENEDBOTTOMBOARD

OBSER-

VATION

METHOD

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

OBSER-

VATIONS

CONTROLWITHAGARICIDES

Acarian

fall

(24h)

>20

>20

>20

>20

>20

>20

>20

>20

Immediate

treatm

ent

NATURALFALLS

Daily

acarian

falls

11

11

11

Controlin

autumn

Daily

acarian

falls

22

22

22

Control

after2

month

Daily

acarian

falls

>3

>3

>3

88

8Immediate

treatm

ent

Daily

acarian

falls

>0,5

>0,5

>6

>6

>10

>10

>16

>30

>20

>20

>20

0,5

Critical

situation/

collapse

22

TYPE OFPATHOGEN

NAME OFPATHOGEN

NAME OFDISEASE

TRANS-MISSION

VIRULENCE

Protozoa Nosema sp. Nosema disease + +++ Benign lethal

Malphigamoebamellificae

Amoebiasis+ +++ Benign

Fungi Ascosphaeraapis

Ascospherosis(chalk brood) + +++ Benign

Ascosphaera sp. Aspergillosis(stone brood) + +++ Benign

Bacteria Paenibacilluslarvae

Americanfoul brood +++ + Lethal

Melissococcusplutonius

Europeanfoul brood + +++ Benign

P. alvei

B. laterosporus

E.faecalis

Viruses APV Acute paralysisvirus + +++ Benign*

DWV Deformed wingvirus + +++ Benign*

CPV Chronic paraly-sis virus + +++ Benign*

BQV Black queen cellvirus + +++ Benign*

SBV Sac brood virus+ +++ Benign*

Acarians Acarapis woodi Acarapisosis + +++ Benign towardslethal**

Varroadestructor****

Varroosis+ +++ Benign lethal***

Pests Tropilaelaps sp. + +++ Benign lethal***

Aethina tumida + +++ Benign lethal***

ANNEX 2COMMON LIST OF PATHOGENS FOR BEES, DISEASENAME, INTER-COLONY TRANSMISSION AND VIRULENCE

23

GLOSSARY

Ancestral character derived from ancestors.Chemoreceptor terminal part of an organ that, in contact with the mole-cules of a substance in the external environment, receives it and differentiatesit depending on its chemical structure.Detritus material collected in the tray of the screened bottom board during thewintering of the bee colony, remains and broken pieces, larvae, insects, etc.Endemic infectious or parasitic disease that is permanently found in one region.Enzootic spread form of an infectious-contagious or parasitic disease in acertain territory, without extending tendency, but reoccurring periodically andsporadically.Phagocytosis engulfing and digesting foreign bodies (microbes) by certainspecialized cells (phagocytes).Phylogenesis process by which a group of organisms differentiates in time(classes, species, varieties, families, etc.) within the process of evolution of theliving world.Phytoncides volatile substances generated and eliminated by certain plants,with bacteriostatic and sometimes bactericide action.Habitat (biotope) living environment which provides favorable conditions,the complex of these conditions.Hemolymph circulating liquid in the organism of bees containing nutritioussubstances and in which cellular elements, with a phagocytizing role, and hu-moral elements, with an anti-infectious role (lysozyme, apidecines) freely float.Homeostasis property of the organism to maintain constant values of the in-ternal environment within very close limits.Panzootic wide-spread disease (countries, continents) which affects a largenumber of individuals.Parthenogenesis growth of organisms from unfecundated eggs.Cross resistance to insecticides capability of living organisms (acarians) to ac-quire, by natural selection, resistance to toxic doses of chemically or other-wise related substances, even if they have never been used as treatments uponthese organisms.Sensiles sensorial appendices.

Legend of Annex 21(+) or +++* serious effects when infected only with Varroa parasites** serious effects where the parasite has been recently destroyed*** serious effects where the parasite has been recently destroyed or where

the parasite is effectively fought with**** Newly described species of V. Jacobsoni (Anderson and Trueman 2000)

(Gabriela Chioveanu, 2008)

24

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Agache P. Biologia i etologia acarianului Varroa Jacobsoni Oudemans.Apicultura n Romania (1988) vol. 63 (4),19;

2. Akyol E., Yeninar H. Controlling Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) inHoneybee Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Colonies by using Thy-movar and BeeVital. Ital. J. Anim. Sci. 2008, vol 7, 237- 242;

3. Branco R. Manuela, Kidd A. C. N., Picard S.R. A Comparative Evalua-tion of Sampling Methods for Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) Popula-tion Estimation. Apidologie 37 (2006) 452-461;

4. Bruneau E. (Belgia) Legislaia European i reglementrile legate de prin-cipiile de bun practic apicol n Uniunea Europeana. Simp. Int. Apimon-dia Beekeeping Simple & Clear, Bucuresti, 2008

5. Cuia Eliza, Siceanu A., apcaliu Agripina. Utilizarea testului pentrucomportament igienic n selecia pentru rezistena la boli minimalizareariscului bolilor la albine i tratamentelor. Simp. Lumea albinelor la nceputulmileniului III Tulcea 2008 (ed 8-a)

6. Chioveanu Gabriela, Dobre Gh. Managementul integrat al varroozei.Lumea apicol (2007) oct (6), 17;

7. Chioveanu Gabriela. Contribuii la studiul etiologiei, prevenirii i combat-erii acariozelor la albine, (2007) FMV Bucuresti ,Tez.

8. Chioveanu Gabriela. Supravegherea sanitar-veterinar a coloniilor de al-bine n Romania. Simp. apicol Prioriti n apicultura zilelor noastreUSAMV Bucureti, 2008;

9. Cebotari Valentina, Grabcenco V., Mo oi I. Testarea preparatelor anti-varroa specifice apiculturii organice. Chiinu - Apicultura modern 2007(1).32-36

10. Cebotari Valentina, Mooi I., Derjaschi V., Magdici Maria. Apreciereaa dou tratamente organice de combatere a varoozei albinei melifere. Simp.Int. Performane i competivitate n producia animal USAMV Iasi, 2007;

11. Cosoroab Iustin. Acarologie veterinar (1984) Ed. Ceres, Bucureti;12. Dillier F. X., Fluri P., Guerin P. Varroa destructor a son nez sur ses pattes.

Rev. Suisse dApicultuire. 98 (11-12) 2001,462-46813. DincOana, Lionide Magdalena. Prezena i controlul reziduurilor de ami-

traz i piretroizi n mierea de albine, Simp. apicol Prioriti n apiculturazilelor noastre USAMV Bucureti, 2008;

14. Dobre Gh. Din experiena utilizrii tratamentelor antivarroa n Romnia.Simp. apicol Prioriti n apicultura zilelor noastre USAMV Bucureti,2008;

15. Dobre Gh. Combaterea varroozei - o necesitate pentru perioada actuala anului apicol. Lumea apicol (2008) iul (15),13;

16. Dobre Gh. Aprecierea n stupin a gradului de parazitare cu varroa. Lumeaapicol (2008) sep (17), 23;

17. Dobre Gh. De ce ignoram n combatere slbiciunile acarianului varroa?Lumea apicol (2000) dec (20),6;

25

18. Goodwin M., Eaton van Cliff. Control of Varroa. A Guide for New ZealandBeekeeperrs. 2001, MAF (New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture)

19. Horn H., BeeVital HiveClean. Test Report. http://beevital.com/media/test20. Ibrahim A., Spivak Marla. The Relationship between Hygienic Behavior

and Suppression of Mite Re-Production of Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)Mechanism of Resistence to Varroa Destructor. Apidologie 37 (2006) 31-40;

21. Imdorf A., Charriere J.D., Kilchenmann Verena, Bogdanov S., Fluri P.Alternative Strategy in Central Europe for the Control of Varroa Destructorin Honey Bee Colonies. Apiacta 38 (2003)258-285

22. Kolasinski R. Noi cercetri n Polonia privind eficiena produsului BeeVi-tal n combaterea varrozei. Simp. apicol Prioriti n apicultura zilelor noas-tre USAMV Bucureti, 2008;

23. Lipinski Z. Antivarroa Treatments, Health of Bees and Quality of Honey,Simp. apicol Prioriti n apicultura zilelor noastre USAMV Bucureti,2008;

24. Lllmann C. (Germania).Cerine de calitate pentru miere n Uniunea Euro-pean. Simp. Int. Apimondia Beekeeping Simple & Clear, Bucureti,2008;

25. Moosbeckhofer R. Field Trials on Efficacy to Control Varroa Destructorand Possible Effects on Honey Quality of BeeVital HiveClean, Apiconcept-BIOTAB and Danys KnabbaStreifen. Raport Institut fur Bienenkunde,AGES,Wien.www.ages.at;

26. Olteanu Gh. (sub redacia) Parazitozoonoze. Probleme la sfrit de mile-niu n Romnia. (1999) Ed. Viaa medical, Bucureti;

27. Krystyna Pohorecka, Pawe Wgrzynowicz, Dariusz Gerula, BeataPanasiuk. BeeVital HiveClean The Effect on Varroa destructor and on theColonies of Bees. Presentation at the Beekeeping Conference Puavy,Poland, 2009

28. www.beevital.com29. www.csicert.com30. www. ecoinspect.ro

Copyright by Eurohonig-BeeVital srl Bucuresti, eurohonig@gmail.comNo part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retreival system, digitised or transmit-ted in any form, whether by means of photocopying electronically, mere copying or in any otherway, without obtaining the written consent of Eurohonig-BeeVital srl

ANNEX 3

26

ANNEX 4

27

28

ANNEX 5

29

Table of ContentIntroduction ..............................................................................................................1Composition.............................................................................................................2Mechanism of action................................................................................................2Main characteristics .................................................................................................3When to use BeeVital HiveClean..............................................................................3Main characteristics of product HiveClean ..............................................................3How to use BeeVital HiveClean................................................................................4Treatment calendar ..................................................................................................4The Bee colony ........................................................................................................5Bee colony annual cycle ..........................................................................................5Labor relationships between bees ...........................................................................5Instinctual activities and behavior patterns .............................................................6Bee colony evolution and involution ........................................................................6Defense complex in bees.........................................................................................6One must treat the colony as a whole, not the individual ........................................8Integrated past management ...................................................................................8Biology and behavior of Varroa sp. acarian .............................................................8Acarian pathogenicity.............................................................................................11Population unbalance of the bee colony................................................................12Epizootology ..........................................................................................................12Apiary health (Varroosis Diagnosis) ........................................................................12What does one determine and how does one interpret the results? .....................13Diagnosis methods ................................................................................................13Apiary examinations ..............................................................................................13Observations on the screen bottom board ............................................................13Apreciating the degree of infestation by natural acarian falls ................................14Control treatments with acaricides .......................................................................15Observations on the sealed brood.........................................................................15Control on live bees ...............................................................................................15Laboratory examinations .......................................................................................16Information on various interventions with BeeVital HiveClean ..............................17Conclusions............................................................................................................17Importance of the screen bottom board ................................................................17How to choose medication? .................................................................................18Why we recommend BeeVital HiveClean...............................................................18Ensuring the quality of beekeeping products ........................................................19Annex 1 Control of Varroosis in the apiary .............................................................20Annex 1 Control by screened bottom board..........................................................21Annex 2 Common list of pathogens for bees, disease name... ............................22Glossary .................................................................................................................23Bibliography ...........................................................................................................24Annex 3 Certificate Ecoinspect S.R.L. ..................................................................25Annex 4 Certificate CSI Dr. C. Lllmann ...............................................................26Annex 5 Certificate QSI Chemical-physical-analysis .............................................27