Entomological Research (2009) 39, 168-174

Abd Al-Majeed Al Ghzawi, Shahera Zaitoun and Hail Shannag (2009)
Management of Braula orientalis Örösi (Diptera: Braulidae) in honeybee colonies with tobacco smoke under semiarid conditions
Entomological Research 39 (3), 168-174
Abstract: In the present study, bee colonies were smoked with tobacco smoke in order to evaluate the monthly changes in the numbers of worker bees, the infestation rates of worker bees and queens with bee lice, and the annual average honey production per colony. In July of each year, 12 colonies were smoked with tobacco smoke; the remaining hives not smoked with tobacco smoke served as the control. The results indicated that the applications of tobacco smoke during July gave rise to an impressive reduction in the Braula infestation rate on workers (below 1.8%) and reduced the amount of bee lice on the queen to zero throughout the 2-3 months following smoke treatment. In the colonies not treated with smoke, the Braula infestation rates on worker bees started to increase in May and continued to increase constantly during the rest of year, reaching maximum infestation rates of 28.2% and 33.8% in December, with an average of 15 and 17 lice per queen in November in the first and second years, respectively. Worker bee populations peaked in April and July of each year in both treatments. The average honey production per colony was significantly higher in the colonies treated with smoke than those that were not for the first and second years. In conclusion, early summer months may be the crucial time to smoke the colonies with tobacco smoke in order to keep bee lice at low levels for the remaining seasons.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Abdul-Majed Al-Ghzawi, Shahera Talat Zaitoun, Hail Kamel Shannag

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Braula orientalis		Jordan