On Sat, 13 Apr 1996, Jeffrey R. Tooker wrote:
 
> I am looking for information on the life cycle of V mites and also
> any information on substances which are attractants to V mites.  I
> do not care in which stage of their life cycle it occurs.
 
For information on the life cycle of Varroa mites check out a publication
put out by the Canadaian Association of Professional Apiculturists called
'Honey Bee Pests and Diseases'.  A new edition is coming out later this
spring, but you might be able to find an old edition in the mean time.
I'm not sure who you can order copies from.  Any other CAPA members know ?
 
I have found two good papers on Varroa attractants.  The first is the
work of Le Conte et al. (1989) where they identified pheromones produced
by drone larvae which attract Varroa mites.  The second is by Kraus et
al. (1994), and they found clove oil and cinnamon oil to be attractive to
Varroa mites.  If you need further information, consult the following
references or contact me.
 
LE CONTE, Y., G. ARNOLD, J. TROULILLER, C. MASSON, B. CHAPPE, and G.
OURISSON (1989)  Attraction of the parasitic mite Varroa to the drone
larvae of honey bees by simple aliphatic esters.  Science 245:638-639
 
KRAUS, B., H. KOENIGER, and S. FUCHS  (1994)  Screening of substances for
their effect on Varroa jacobsoni : repellency, toxicity, and masking
effects of etheral oils.  Journal of Apicultural Research.  33(1):34-43
 
Cheers,
Adony
 
****************************************
*** Adony Melathopoulos ****************
***** Center for Pest Management *******
******** Simon Fraser University *******
*********** Burnaby, British Coumbia ***
************** CANADA ******************
****************************************
 
'All bees are looking for bargains in nature's supermarket'
- Bernd Heinrich
 
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