Nazarenko O. Varroosis of honey bees (distribution, diagnosis and treatment).

Object of the research: varroosis of honey bees. The purpose of the work: to study the spreading of honey bees’ varroosis in apiaries of Poltava region and develop scientifically substantiated methods of its diagnostics and treatment. Research methods: parasitological (entomological, determining the effectiveness of preparations); epizootological (determining prevalence, intensity, and degree of infestation, its index, seasonal and age dynamics); morphological (studying mite structure, making morphological preparations in toto); hematological, microscopic, zoo-technical; metric; and statistical. Scientific novelty: New data as to spreading honey bees’ varroosis in apiaries of Poltava region were obtained. It has been revealed that more often varroosis is found in two-component Varroa destructor та Nosema spp. association (78.46 %). The dependence of worker bees’ infestation with Varroa destructor on the season of the year and age of queen has been proven. Maximum indices of bees’ infestation with varroosis causative agent were registered in the summer period of the year (ЕІ – 18.17 %, ІІ – 3.23±0.18 specimens/bee) and in queens 2-3 years of age (ЕІ – 6.86±0.74 %). New data as to the effect of varroosis causal agent on cytological indicators of hemo-lymph cells in bees of different age were received. The peculiarities of bees’ wintering and their viability in case of varroosis invasion were studied. New data were obtained concerning morphometric identification of V. destructor females. Their morphological changeability in different seasons was proven. It has been established that ratio percentage of V. destructor female morphotypes changes in different seasons of the year and in summer period makes 20% of winter morphotype and 21% of summer morphotype in winter period. The improved method of making permanent micro-preparations of Varroa destructor mites has been developed. Therapeutic effectiveness of the following acaricidal preparations for the treatment of bee varroosis was determined: “Flucontact” (active substance is flumetrin), “Varrolom” (active substance – tau-fluvalinant), “Varroacide” (active substance – amitrase) strips, and “Tactamit” (active substance – amitrase) emulsion applied in different ways. High effectiveness of “Flucontact” and “Tactamit” preparations used by smoking out was proven (acaricidal effectiveness made 99.05 and 98.36%). For the first time, the effect of the conducted therapy on bees’ flight activity and honey productivity of bee families was established. The scientific novelty of the work was acknowledged by the Patent of Ukraine on useful model: “Method of making permanent preparations of Varroa destructor in toto mole mites” № 131806. It has been proposed: It is necessary to use “Flucontact”acaricidal preparation for the treatment of varroosis of bee families (1-2 strips for 8-16 hive body frames during 30 days) and “Tactamit” (in the dose of 10 ml per hive by smoking out with 0.00625% water emulsion twice with the interval of 7 days). The improved method of making permanent micro-preparations from Varroa destructor mites has been proposed, and it enables to study in more detail the structure of not only chitinous parts of mite body, but also their internal organs, which ensures high effectiveness of differential diagnostics of the causative agents of this species. It has been introduced: The results of the experimental research are used in scientific work and study process at faculties of veterinary medicine at higher educational establishments of Ukraine: Poltava State Agrarian Academy, Dnipro State Agrarian and Economic University, Zhytomyr National Agro-Ecological University, Kharkiv State Zoo-Veterinary Academy, and Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University.