EVALUATION OF TAGETES MINUTA L. ESSENTIAL OILS TO CONTROL VARROA DESTRUCTOR (ACARI: VARROIDAE).

The Varroa destructor, an ectoparasitary mite of the Apis mellifera, causes serious damage to beekeeping. Synthetic acaricides have been used to combat the V. destructor but mites have developed resistance against them, moreover, it has been reported that synthetic acaricides contaminate honey and wax. Natural products, such as essential oils, might be an option to control V. destructor. Acaricidal effects of Tagetes minuta L. essential oils on V. destructor mites were studied. The essential oils were extracted by steam distillation from different parts of the plant in diverse stages of their vital cycle. Live V. destructor mites were sampled from an infested experimental apiary to which no previous acaricide treatments had been applied. Groups of ten mites were kept in