PRACTICAL CONTROL METHOD OF THE PARASITIC BEE MITE TROPILAELAPS CLAREAE

It is considered that T. clareae is much more destructive to honey bee colonies than Varroa jacobsoni is. Control of that mite is possible w ithout the use of any medicine. The queen should be caged for 3 weeks, or all the brood should be removed from bee colonies. However, some b eekeepers consider this impractical: Caging queens for 21 consecutive days leads to decline of the population of bee colonies, and removing all the brood results in decrease of the colony's strength. To elimina te those inconveniences, the method should be properly applied. Caging of queens should be conducted during honey flow, when a subsequent fl ow is not expected. This results in some advantages. Restriction of br ood rearing releases many worker bees for nectar collection and lower numbers of worker bees after the honey flow will require less food. Br ood removed from bee colonies should not be destroyed. Brood combs, to gether with all worker bees covering them, should be put in an empty h ive box and placed near the maternal bee colony. Three weeks later whe n all the workers emerge from the combs, the nucleus may be united wit h the maternal colony, and the bee population will be restored.