Comparison of Two Diagnostic Techniques for the <i>Apis mellifera</i> Varroatosis: Strengths, Weaknesses and Impact on the Honeybee Health
<i>Varroa destructor</i> is the most dangerous pest that poses a threat to honey bee survival. In recent years, increasingly worrying phenomena of drug resistance have occurred to various active ingredients of pharmaceutical formulations used to control this parasitosis. Determining the...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Veterinary Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/9/7/354 |
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| author | Roberto Bava Fabio Castagna Cristina Carresi Antonio Cardamone Giovanni Federico Paola Roncada Ernesto Palma Vincenzo Musella Domenico Britti |
| author_facet | Roberto Bava Fabio Castagna Cristina Carresi Antonio Cardamone Giovanni Federico Paola Roncada Ernesto Palma Vincenzo Musella Domenico Britti |
| author_sort | Roberto Bava |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Varroa destructor</i> is the most dangerous pest that poses a threat to honey bee survival. In recent years, increasingly worrying phenomena of drug resistance have occurred to various active ingredients of pharmaceutical formulations used to control this parasitosis. Determining the level of infestation is essential to preventing the inappropriate use and abuse of veterinary medicines, and to choose the most appropriate time for treatment. This comparative study investigates the sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy of two field techniques for diagnosing <i>V. destructor</i> infestations in hives. The <i>EasyCheck</i> device (<i>Véto-pharma</i>) was used in two of its application modes, namely, the sugar roll test and carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) injection. The experiments were conducted on 15 samples of 300 bees each taken from the same frame and checked for the presence of mites using standard and modified field techniques in both uncaged and caged queen hive conditions. The results demonstrate that the sugar roll technique is significantly more effective and safer than CO<sub>2</sub> injection, allowing for a higher accuracy in diagnosing a <i>V. destructor</i> infestation. Furthermore, the evaluation of mites present on bees in brood block conditions has proven to be particularly reliable. Considering the number of mites on the filter of the device as an additional step helps to implement the diagnostic accuracy of the CO<sub>2</sub> injection technique, however, not achieving the efficacy results of the sugar roll. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:10:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1692ec4f76744851a194d26d3fa97888 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2306-7381 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:10:07Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Veterinary Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-1692ec4f76744851a194d26d3fa978882023-12-01T22:47:49ZengMDPI AGVeterinary Sciences2306-73812022-07-019735410.3390/vetsci9070354Comparison of Two Diagnostic Techniques for the <i>Apis mellifera</i> Varroatosis: Strengths, Weaknesses and Impact on the Honeybee HealthRoberto Bava0Fabio Castagna1Cristina Carresi2Antonio Cardamone3Giovanni Federico4Paola Roncada5Ernesto Palma6Vincenzo Musella7Domenico Britti8Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, ItalyDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, ItalyDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, ItalyDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, ItalyIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Loc. Catona, 89135 Reggio Calabria, ItalyDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, ItalyDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, ItalyDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, ItalyDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy<i>Varroa destructor</i> is the most dangerous pest that poses a threat to honey bee survival. In recent years, increasingly worrying phenomena of drug resistance have occurred to various active ingredients of pharmaceutical formulations used to control this parasitosis. Determining the level of infestation is essential to preventing the inappropriate use and abuse of veterinary medicines, and to choose the most appropriate time for treatment. This comparative study investigates the sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy of two field techniques for diagnosing <i>V. destructor</i> infestations in hives. The <i>EasyCheck</i> device (<i>Véto-pharma</i>) was used in two of its application modes, namely, the sugar roll test and carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) injection. The experiments were conducted on 15 samples of 300 bees each taken from the same frame and checked for the presence of mites using standard and modified field techniques in both uncaged and caged queen hive conditions. The results demonstrate that the sugar roll technique is significantly more effective and safer than CO<sub>2</sub> injection, allowing for a higher accuracy in diagnosing a <i>V. destructor</i> infestation. Furthermore, the evaluation of mites present on bees in brood block conditions has proven to be particularly reliable. Considering the number of mites on the filter of the device as an additional step helps to implement the diagnostic accuracy of the CO<sub>2</sub> injection technique, however, not achieving the efficacy results of the sugar roll.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/9/7/354integrated pest management (IPM)honey bee <i>(Apis mellifera)</i><i>Varroa destructor</i>CO<sub>2</sub> injectionpowdered sugar rollhoney bee welfare and health |
| spellingShingle | Roberto Bava Fabio Castagna Cristina Carresi Antonio Cardamone Giovanni Federico Paola Roncada Ernesto Palma Vincenzo Musella Domenico Britti Comparison of Two Diagnostic Techniques for the <i>Apis mellifera</i> Varroatosis: Strengths, Weaknesses and Impact on the Honeybee Health Veterinary Sciences integrated pest management (IPM) honey bee <i>(Apis mellifera)</i> <i>Varroa destructor</i> CO<sub>2</sub> injection powdered sugar roll honey bee welfare and health |
| title | Comparison of Two Diagnostic Techniques for the <i>Apis mellifera</i> Varroatosis: Strengths, Weaknesses and Impact on the Honeybee Health |
| title_full | Comparison of Two Diagnostic Techniques for the <i>Apis mellifera</i> Varroatosis: Strengths, Weaknesses and Impact on the Honeybee Health |
| title_fullStr | Comparison of Two Diagnostic Techniques for the <i>Apis mellifera</i> Varroatosis: Strengths, Weaknesses and Impact on the Honeybee Health |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparison of Two Diagnostic Techniques for the <i>Apis mellifera</i> Varroatosis: Strengths, Weaknesses and Impact on the Honeybee Health |
| title_short | Comparison of Two Diagnostic Techniques for the <i>Apis mellifera</i> Varroatosis: Strengths, Weaknesses and Impact on the Honeybee Health |
| title_sort | comparison of two diagnostic techniques for the i apis mellifera i varroatosis strengths weaknesses and impact on the honeybee health |
| topic | integrated pest management (IPM) honey bee <i>(Apis mellifera)</i> <i>Varroa destructor</i> CO<sub>2</sub> injection powdered sugar roll honey bee welfare and health |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/9/7/354 |
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