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Population abundance of Varroa destructor and its effects on Apis mellifera scutellata colonies in Kenya

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Abstract

The devastating effects of Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman on Western honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera L.) have been well documented. Not only do these mites cause physical damage to parasitized individuals when they feed on them, but they also transmit viruses and other pathogens, weaken colonies and ultimately may cause their death. Unlike the subspecies of European origin, the honeybees of African origin suffer less from mite infestations. Absconding is one of the factors contributing to low V. destructor population in honeybee colonies as it creates a brood-free period. For a long time, researchers hypothesized that absconding was the main mechanism to control the parasite. The effects of V. destructor are well documented under temperate climatic conditions with a break during winter. Therefore, our study aimed at investigating the impact of V. destructor population growth on colony size, absconding and productivity under natural infestation levels of a tropical/subtropical climate with continuous brood production. We measured several characteristics related to the mite populations, the bee colonies and the resources of the bee colonies for a period of 8 months. The seven colonies that absconded during the study period were not influenced by densities of V. destructor. Absconding of the colonies occurred as a result of low numbers of capped brood. Mite densities were generally low throughout the study period (ranged between 26.9 and 59.8 mites per month) but were positively associated with adult bee densities. The amount of open and capped brood was positively associated with densities of V. destructor in the brood and negatively associated with denisities of V. destructor on screen boards, which appeared as extremely important factors that should be monitored regularly alongside colony stores and availability of pollen.

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Acknowledgements

We thank beekeeping technicians James N. Kimani, Joseph W. Kilonzo and Newton M. Ngui for their assistance in the field and laboratory. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support for this research by the following organizations and agencies: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD-2000000282); UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO); the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida); the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC); the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; and the Government of the Republic of Kenya. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the donors.

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  1. International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya

    Sammy Kiprotich Cheruiyot & H. Michael G. Lattorff

  2. School of Pure and Applied Sciences, Kenyatta University, P.O. Box 43844-00100, Nairobi, Kenya

    Sammy Kiprotich Cheruiyot & Jenard Patrick Mbugi

  3. School of Agriculture and Enterprise Development, Kenyatta University, P.O. Box 43844- 00100, Nairobi, Kenya

    Ruth Kahuthia-Gathu

  4. Department of Life Sciences, School of Pure and Applied Sciences, South Eastern University of Kenya, P.O. Box 170-90200, Kitui, Kenya

    Elliud Muli

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  1. Sammy Kiprotich Cheruiyot
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Cheruiyot, S.K., Kahuthia-Gathu, R., Mbugi, J.P. et al. Population abundance of Varroa destructor and its effects on Apis mellifera scutellata colonies in Kenya. Exp Appl Acarol 82, 171–184 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-020-00548-5

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