This study suggests that organic acid treatments increase SHB mortality and inhibit the growth of yeasts that occurs when SHBs defecate in the hive.
> These field tests were conducted to determine if acid fumes would result in increased mortality of adult A. tumida and decreased numbers of SHB larvae-infested areas on honey/pollen combs. Acetic acid treatments showed higher mortality of adult SHB and formic acid treatments showed lower larval infestation compared to the controls. It is interesting that the acetic acid killed more SHB adults than the formic acid, suggesting that the lower larval infestation in the formic acid treatments was not caused by a reduction in the adult population. This further suggests that V. destructor- treatments with formic acid may also affect reproduction of A. tumida.
Open source:
> Effects of organic acid treatments on small hive beetles, Aethina tumida, and the associated yeast Kodamaea ohmeri
Marc O. Schäfer · Wolfgang Ritter · Jeff S. Pettis · Peter E. A. Teal · Peter Neumann
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