PREVENTIVE TREATMENT OF TRACHEAL MITES, ACARAPIS-WOODI (RENNIE) WITH VEGETABLE OIL EXTENDER PATTIES IN THE HONEY-BEE, APIS-MELLIFERA L COLONIES

Providing vegetable oil (V.0.) extender patties to established honey bee colonies established from package bees reduces the spread of tracheal mites from infested colonies to treated non-infested colonies. In treated colonies the mite prevalence was 15 times lower during the first few weeks compared to untreated colonies. V.0. patties can deliver vegetable oil for a long period of time in bee colonies and therefore may provide an efficient preventive method to reduce the rate of tracheal mite infestation increases, especially in newly established bee colonies