PSU Dept' Entomology

1
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Strategies for
Parasitic Bee Mites

• The Pennsylvania State University
• Department of Entomology
• University Park, PA

College of Agricultural Sciences
2
IPM Pyramid
3
IPM Defined

• Decision-making process based on understanding
  pest and host interactions
• Based on Thresholds
• Uses multiple Tactics
• Should be safe, profitable and environmentally
  friendly

4
IPM Rules

• Identify Problem
• Determine Threshold
• Assess Options
• Select and Apply Controls
• Evaluate Success and Record Results

5
Drawbacks of IPM

• Can be Labor-Intensive
• No simple answers
• May not work consistently

6
Why IPM?

• Mites becoming resistant
• Comb contamination
• Pesticide Misuse
• Diseases associated with mites difficult to treat

7
IPM Criteria

• Know the life cycles and seasonal rhythms of the
  pest(s).
• Determine when the pests are most susceptible to
  treatment.

8
IPM Criteria

• Measure economic threshold
• Number of mites counted before you have to treat
• What number do you use?

9
Monitoring Mite Levels

• Ether or Sugar Roll
• Use ether to kill bees/mites
• Use sugar for live counts
• Cappings Scratcher
• Pull up 25-50 drone cells
• Count mites

10
Monitoring Mites Sticky Board

• Sticky board
• Three day natural mite drop
• Smoke drop (tobacco)
• Miticide strip drop

11
IPM Tactics

• Natural enemies (Biological)
• Host resistance / tolerance (Cultural)
• Modify environment (Physical)
• Impair the pest's reproductive capacity
  (Genetic)
• Pesticides (Chemical)

12
Cultural Control Tactics

• Interrupt Mite Cycle
• Restrict queen
• Fall Requeening/forager collection
• Use Special Frames or Cell Sizes
• Use Mite Reducing Queens
• Various strains

13
Mite Reducing Queens

• Hygienic queens commercially available
• USDA Bee Breeding Genetics Lab, Baton Rouge, LA
• Russian stock
• Suppression queens (SMR)
• Other Lines? Natural resistance in AZ

14
Other Mite Reducing Behaviors

• Grooming behavior
• Bees groom more (both mites) e.g. Buckfast
• Length of post-capping stage
• Bees pupate in fewer days (less than 12)
  (Varroa)
• Immature mite survival
• Foundress mites laying fewer eggs?
• Other mechanisms?

15
Physical Control Tactics

• Knock off mites onto sticky boards
• smoke, essential oils, powdered sugar
• Use screened bottom boards
• Trap and remove mites in drone brood
• Heat and other treatments

16
Screen Inserts
17
Genetic Goals Mites

• Mite Behavior
• Brood attractiveness
• Low mite fecundity
• Shorter length of phoretic period
• Less virulent mites
• Non-reproductive mites

18
Chemical Controls

• Essential oils for mite knockdown
• Bay, Origanum, Cajeput and others
• White Thyme or a Thymol mixture
• Organic Acids
• Formic, lactic, oxalic
• Sucrose Octoanate
• Other novel chemicals

19
Future Research Needed

• Bio-rational controls needed
• Hormonal imbalance
• Life cycle disruptions
• Attractants? Deterrents?
• Desiccation agents
• Diatomaceous earth

20
How to Contact us

• Office Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• http//www.ento.psu.edu/personnel/newfolder2/frame
  .htm
• http//MAAREC.cas.psu.edu

College of Agricultural Sciences
The Pennsylvania State University Department
of Entomology 501 ASI Building University Park, PA