GC-MS Analysis and Evaluation of Essential Oils as Volatile Biopesticides: Assessing Their Acaricidal Potential against Varroa destructor

Honey bees are crucial for ecosystem pollination and honey production, yet the Varroa destructor mite hinders their productivity and health. Efforts to manage Varroa mites with synthetic pesticides have had limited success, highlighting the need for naturally derived acaricides as a primary option....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Agriculture (Basel) 2024-06, Vol.14 (6), p.940
Main Authors: Raza, Muhammad Fahad, Hyder, Moazam, Zhao, Chonghui, Li, Wenfeng
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
acaricidal effect
Acaricides
Beekeeping
Bees
Beeswax
Cannabis
Caryophyllene
Chemical composition
Effectiveness
Essential oils
Evaluation
Food
GC-MS analysis
Hemp oil
Honey
honey bees
Honeybee
Humidity
Insecticides
Limonene
Metabolites
Mites
Myrcene
Oils & fats
Pathogens
Pesticides
Phytol
Plant reproduction
Pollination
Pyrethrins
Side effects
Toxicity
Varroa destructor
Viridiflorol
α-Pinene
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Summary:Honey bees are crucial for ecosystem pollination and honey production, yet the Varroa destructor mite hinders their productivity and health. Efforts to manage Varroa mites with synthetic pesticides have had limited success, highlighting the need for naturally derived acaricides as a primary option. However, the acaricidal efficacy of essential oils from Salvia officinalis L. (sage), Cannabis sativa (hemp), and Laurus nobilis (laurel) remains to be fully understood. This study aims to investigate the acaricidal efficacy of these three essential oils at varying concentrations and their impact on honey production, focusing on the efficient reduction in Varroa mites. The sugar roll method was employed to assess Varroa mite infestation levels, while GC-MS analysis was utilized to verify the composition of the essential oils. Honey production measurements were also performed. The efficacy rates (%) at concentrations of 15%, 10%, and 5% for hemp oil were 95.4% ± 0.30%, 85.71% ± 0.85%, and 64.48% ± 0.26%, respectively; for sage oil, they were 81.08% ± 0.57%, 69.42% ± 1.72%, and 50.35% ± 0.70%; and for laurel oil, they were 68.96% ± 0.34%, 54.66% ± 0.37%, and 33.58% ± 0.30%, respectively. Key compounds identified include trans-caryophyllene, α-pinene, and viridiflorol in hemp oil; myrcene, limonene, and β-caryophyllene in sage oil; and phytol, β-myrcene, and n-heneicosane in laurel oil. The overall findings indicate that hemp oil is highly effective in controlling Varroa mites. However, further research is needed to evaluate its potential side effects on bees to ensure its sustainability and safety.
ISSN:2077-0472
2077-0472
DOI:10.3390/agriculture14060940