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Efficacy and Safety of an Oxalic Acid and Glycerin Formulation for Varroa destructor Control in Honey Bee Colonies During Summer in a Northern Climate
 
 
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Pathogens
Volume 14
Issue 10
10.3390/pathogens14101051
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Comparative Evaluation of Organic and Commercial Treatments Against Varroa destructor in Apis mellifera: Implications for Honey Yield in Northeastern Mexico

by
Jesús Humberto Reyna-Fuentes
1,
Oscar Vicente Vazquez-Mendoza
2,
Mirelly Venecia Mireles-Villanueva
1,*,
Daniel López-Aguirre
3,
Juana Maria Coronado-Blanco
3,
Ruben Alberto Muñoz-Sánchez
1 and
Francisco Reyes-Zepeda
1
1
Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Carretera Victoria-Mante Km 5, Ejido Santa Librada, Ciudad Victoria 87274, Tamaulipas, Mexico
2
Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, El Cerrillo Piedras Blancas, Toluca 50295, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
3
Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Campus del Centro Universitario, Ciudad Victoria 87149, Tamaulipas, Mexico
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Pathogens 2025, 14(10), 1051; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14101051 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 27 September 2025 / Revised: 15 October 2025 / Accepted: 16 October 2025 / Published: 18 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surveillance, Detection and Control of Infectious Diseases of Bees)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Infestation by Varroa destructor represents one of the major challenges for beekeeping, as it compromises both colony health and honey productivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of different organic treatments for the control of V. destructor and their effect on honey production in Apis mellifera colonies located on the central region of Tamaulipas, Mexico. A total of 150 colonies were assigned to five treatments: T1, oxalic acid with glycerin; T2, sublimated oxalic acid; T3, Thymol, T4; HappyVarr; and T5, an untreated control. Mite infestation (initial and final) and honey production were analyzed using a non-parametric approach and were evaluated with the Kruskal–Wallis test, and when significant differences were detected, Steel–Dwass multiple comparisons were performed. To examine the relationship between infestation reduction and honey yield, Spearman’s rank correlation was applied. No significant differences were observed in the initial infestation levels. However, final infestation levels showed highly significant differences among treatments (p < 0.0001), with T1, T2, T3, and sublimated oxalic acid (T4) significantly reducing mite infestation compared with the control. Sublimated oxalic acid represents the most effective and productive control method under the tested conditions. Honey production also differed significantly among treatments (p < 0.0001), with the highest yields recorded in T3 and T4. A strong negative correlation was detected between final infestation and honey production (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, treatments based on oxalic acid (particularly sublimated) and HappyVarr proved effective in reducing V. destructor infestation and improving honey production, highlighting their relevance as viable alternatives for sanitary management in beekeeping.
Keywords: alternative mite control; organic treatments; sustainable beekeeping; colony health alternative mite control; organic treatments; sustainable beekeeping; colony health

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MDPI and ACS Style

Reyna-Fuentes, J.H.; Vazquez-Mendoza, O.V.; Mireles-Villanueva, M.V.; López-Aguirre, D.; Coronado-Blanco, J.M.; Muñoz-Sánchez, R.A.; Reyes-Zepeda, F. Comparative Evaluation of Organic and Commercial Treatments Against Varroa destructor in Apis mellifera: Implications for Honey Yield in Northeastern Mexico. Pathogens 2025, 14, 1051. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14101051

AMA Style

Reyna-Fuentes JH, Vazquez-Mendoza OV, Mireles-Villanueva MV, López-Aguirre D, Coronado-Blanco JM, Muñoz-Sánchez RA, Reyes-Zepeda F. Comparative Evaluation of Organic and Commercial Treatments Against Varroa destructor in Apis mellifera: Implications for Honey Yield in Northeastern Mexico. Pathogens. 2025; 14(10):1051. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14101051

Chicago/Turabian Style

Reyna-Fuentes, Jesús Humberto, Oscar Vicente Vazquez-Mendoza, Mirelly Venecia Mireles-Villanueva, Daniel López-Aguirre, Juana Maria Coronado-Blanco, Ruben Alberto Muñoz-Sánchez, and Francisco Reyes-Zepeda. 2025. "Comparative Evaluation of Organic and Commercial Treatments Against Varroa destructor in Apis mellifera: Implications for Honey Yield in Northeastern Mexico" Pathogens 14, no. 10: 1051. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14101051

APA Style

Reyna-Fuentes, J. H., Vazquez-Mendoza, O. V., Mireles-Villanueva, M. V., López-Aguirre, D., Coronado-Blanco, J. M., Muñoz-Sánchez, R. A., & Reyes-Zepeda, F. (2025). Comparative Evaluation of Organic and Commercial Treatments Against Varroa destructor in Apis mellifera: Implications for Honey Yield in Northeastern Mexico. Pathogens, 14(10), 1051. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14101051

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