Abstract:

The Varroa mite, Varroa destructor (Arachnida: Acari: Varroidae) is an ectoparasitic mite of the
honey bee (Apis mellifera). It was first detected in East Africa in 2009. Currently, no control
strategies have been put in place to manage the pest in Uganda. A study was conducted to
establish the extent of spread of the Varroa mite, determine its seasonal population dynamics and
also evaluate some control options against the mite using Varroacides. A survey of nine districts
representing four Agro ecological zones of Uganda in November and December 2015 showed
that Varroa was present in all. Severity of infestations calculated as Varroa load (number of
mites per 100 bees) was below the threshold of 5 mites per 100 bees. An average of 4±0.69 mites
were recovered per colony sampled. Altitude, seasons (dry and wet), AEZ had no effect on
varroacides. Fluvalinate had a higher efficacy (59.65%) than Thymol (38.79%) though both
values were generally lower than those that have been reported elsewhere. Effects of the
treatments on some colony performance parameters (flight activity and number of combs with
honey) were found to be insignificant while they were significant for brood characteristics
(brood pattern and number of brood combs). This is an indicator that further studies should be
done to establish the effect of these treatments on brood and also the queens within hives. Also,
chemicals which can result into development of resistance of the mite.