Issue |
Apidologie
Volume 34, Number 5, September-October 2003
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Page(s) | 417 - 427 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2003040 |
DOI: 10.1051/apido:2003040
Evaluation of some essential oils for the control and prevention of American Foulbrood disease in honey bees
Graciela N. Alboa, Cynthia Henningb, Jorge Ringueletb, Francisco J. Reynaldic, Marisa R. De Giustid and Adriana M. Alippica Curso de Zootecnia AMG, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Argentina
b Curso de Fitoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 1900 La Plata, Argentina
c Centro de Investigaciones de Fitopatología, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, calles 60 y 119 s/n, cc 31, 1900 La Plata, Argentina
d Departamento de Fisicomatemática, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 49 y 115 s/n, 1900 La Plata, Argentina
(Received 30 May 2002; revised 4 September 2002; accepted 31 October 2002)
Abstract
American Foulbrood (AFB), caused by the spore-forming bacterium
Paenibacillus larvae larvae, is the most serious disease of honeybees.
Laboratory and field trials were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of essential
oils from savory, thyme, lemon-grass, and oregano, and blends of lemon-grass + thyme;
lemon-grass + thyme + oregano + basil, and lemon-grass + thyme + basil in preventing
and controlling infections of AFB in Apis mellifera colonies. The principal components
of the essential oils used were determined by gas chromatography. LD
50 values for acute
oral toxicity of the oils on adult bees verified that the essences were non-toxic
or slightly toxic. Results from field trials indicate that neither the essences nor
the blends were effective in the elimination of AFB clinical symptoms at any dose
formulation or method of administration tested, whereas tylosin was highly effective
in eliminating AFB clinical symptoms.
Key words: American foulbrood / Apis mellifera / Paenibacillus larvae larvae / essential oil / tylosin
Correspondence and reprints: Adriana M. Alippi
e-mail: alippi@biol.unlp.edu.ar
© INRA, EDP Sciences, DIB, AGIB 2003