Evaluatiòn of Quassia amara as a treatment against varroosis in three apiaries in the municipality of León, Nicaragua

Abstract

apiaries with the same physical and environmental conditions in order to evaluate the efficacy of the aqueous extract Quassia amara as a treatment against Varroa destructor using five treatment groups for this: Hive ST: Without treatment, it is the control and four hives to which the Quassia amara extract was applied at different concentrations: Hive A: mother solution (M) 100% (1 kg raw material/10 l of water); Hive B: dilution I = One part of solution M plus 4 parts of water (20%); Hive C: dilution II = One part of dilution I plus one part of water (10%); Hive D: dilution III = One part of dilution II plus one part of water (5%). Six applications were made by spraying with an interval of four days. The infestation indices were assessed by counting the parasite load in adult bees from each hive and the samples were collected at the following times: When making the first, third and last applications, and 21 days after the last. The extension of invasion in pups was determined in the first and last applications and 21 days later. In total, 60 samples of adult bees from 150 to 200 specimens and 45 fragments of 10x10 cm capped brood combs were worked on. Dilution I was found to be the most effective on the mite in adult bees.