D. Sammataro et al., CONTROLLING TRACHEAL MITES (ACARI, TARSONEMIDAE) IN HONEY-BEES (HYMENOPTERA, APIDAE) WITH VEGETABLE OIL, Journal of economic entomology, 87(4), 1994, pp. 910-916
Field experiments conducted between 1991 and 1993 demonstrated that tr
eating colonies of honey bees, Apis mellifera L., continuously with ve
getable oil depressed populations of tracheal mites Acarapis woodi (Re
nnie). In 1992-1993, continuous exposure to oil patties, with or witho
ut the antibiotic Terramycin, produced significant control of mites. F
ive of 11 untreated (control) colonies perished. None of the oil-patty
-treated colonies died, and only two of 10 colonies treated with Terra
mycin patties expired. Oil patties were made from a combination of sol
id vegetable oil (shortening) and white sugar, with or without the add
ition of the antibiotic. Two oil patty treatments during the summer of
1991 failed to prevent mite population increases in bees by that fall
.