Evaluation the effect of some different alcoholic extracts concentrations in eliminating the Varroa mite parasitizing in honeybee hives at Al-Diwaniyah governorate – Iraq

Abstract

This study was conducted in Twelve apiaries in Al-Diwaniyah Governorate from May 2024 - August 2025 to demonstrated the efficiency of natural extracts as safe alternatives to chemical pesticides in eliminating the Varroa mite parasitizing in honeybee hives . Eucalyptus oil was extracted using a Soxhlet device, and garlic extract was obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis and maceration. The compound 1,8-cineole was purified and analyzed using HPLC.The field study included twelves apiaries in Al-Diwaniyah Governorate, divided into four groups: three treatment groups (garlic 10%, eucalyptus 10%, cineole 2%) and one control group. The hives were sprayed three times over 10 days, and the therapeutic efficacy of the extracts in controlling Varroa mites was measured by counting the number of falling mites periodically. Garlic extract (10%) was the most effective treatment with high therapeutic efficiency, the percentage ranged between 97.0% - 97.2% compared to the control group . Eucalyptus extract at a concentration of 10% showed good efficacy, reaching 90.9%, but it remained second only to garlic. Cineole -1,8 at a concentration of 2% came in third place with a lower therapeutic efficiency of 84.7%, which may be attributed to its low concentration used in the study. Conclusions: This study showed that garlic extract (10%) was the most effective treatment and showed that these extracts do not cause any side effects to honeybees, and no abnormal mortality rates were observed in the treated hives.