Efficacy of some Acaricides Against Ectoparasitic Mite Tropilaelaps clareae Infesting European Honey Bee Apis mellifera

Four acaricides viz., 85% fonnic acid (5ml/colony), sulphur (500mg/comb), fluvalinate (3ml quantity of 5 ppm solution) and amitraz (2 strips/colony) were tested against ectoparasitic mite Tropilaelaps c1areae infesting Apis mellifera colonies during monsoon and post monsoon seasons in colonies having 45–60 per cent infestation. The mite mortality under hive conditions varied between 80.51–85.14 per cent by all the chemicals after two weeks of their treatment. All the treated colonies became mite free within 22–25.5 days and these chemicals had no adlverse effect on the brood and bees or queens.