Method for treating bees against mites

Abstract

The invention is used for combatting varroosis in bees using formic acid. Anti-mite treatment of bee colonies is carried out with an aerosol stream, sprayed using a device comprising a container having a lid which is hermetically coupled to a cannula for dosed injection of acid and to a cone-shaped tube divided by a valve into an inlet portion and an outlet portion that are connected to a long vertical pipe and a short vertical pipe. An air stream is supplied through the inlet portion of the cone-shaped tube and, upon coming into contact with the dividing valve, is redirected through the long pipe into the container containing an aqueous solution of formic acid, creating aerosol-forming vortex flows. The resulting aerosol passes through the short pipe into the outlet portion of the cone-shaped tube of the device, and a stream of the aerosol is then directed through the tip of the tube into a hive.

Description

[0001] How to treat bees for mites

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] The invention relates to agriculture, specifically beekeeping, and can be used to treat bee colonies infested with mites of the genus Varroa (Varroa destructor, Varroa jacobsoni, and others), and the even more dangerous Tropilaelaps (Tropila). Mites at various stages of their development infect larval pupae and adult bees. They form colonies, feed on the hemolymph of bee larvae, and transmit bacterial and viral diseases. The death of the colony from mites typically occurs within three to four months of infestation. As a result, the mites cause rapid brood mortality and the birth of non-viable bees and drones.

[0004] To treat bees for mite infestations, beekeepers use various chemicals, including amitraz, fluvalinate, flumethrin, bromopropylate, phenothiazine, and others, and employ various methods of delivering them to the hives and treating the bees. Chemicals are known to significantly reduce bees' immunity and lifespan. Known methods of using these chemicals also have other limitations, including ambient temperature. In autumn, they can only be used after honey extraction.

[0005] Organic acids, particularly formic acid (methanoic acid), are also used to reduce the incidence of Varroa and Tropilaelaps mite infestations in bee colonies. However, caution is required when using this reagent, as it is flammable and classified as a Class 2 hazard. This caustic, corrosive substance is classified as hazardous at concentrations greater than 10%. At this concentration, the reagent irritates the skin, while at 15% and above, it corrodes, causing painful, long-lasting burns. Splashes of the reagent into the eyes are dangerous. Using formic acid to treat bees also requires careful monitoring of its concentration and the duration of exposure to the colonies, as it can cause the death of queens and bees, and its effectiveness is limited to ambient temperatures between 12 and 25 degrees Celsius. All of this prompted the author to conduct research into a new method for using formic acid to treat bees against mites.

[0006] A known method for treating bee colonies is patented by the Russian Federation (RU) No. 2234837, C1 7 A01K 51 / 00, dated August 27, 2004, Bulletin No. 24, "Method for Treating Bees." This method involves introducing a biologically active gaseous substance, typically ozone at a concentration of 16 to 64 mg / m3, into the beehives and treating them for 5-720 minutes, up to twice daily. This method has the disadvantages of being highly labor-intensive and having a weak acaricidal effect.

[0007] 1

[0008] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) A known method for combating varroatosis in bees is patent No. 2807136 IPC A01K 51 / 00 (2006.01) dated 2010.02.16. It involves pre-preparing a mixture of plant decoction in a specific ratio and then treating the hives, starting from the bottom, followed by treating the frames with bees on both sides, four times in the morning or evening, with a 7-day interval. This method is characterized by lengthy processes and high labor costs.

[0009] A known method for combating varroatosis in bees, patent No. 2430511 IPC A01K 51 / 00 (2006.01) dated 2010.02.16, involves treating bees with anolyte containing ozone and spraying them at 7-day intervals. This method is characterized by an ozone-oxygen mixture formed from pure oxygen, bubbling it through the anolyte and then spraying. This method is characterized by its effectiveness against mites, which is fundamentally no different from previously known methods, but is labor-intensive.

[0010] A device for evaporating medicinal preparations in a hive is known (USSR Patent SU (11) 1 430 015, Application No. 4 048 136, February 27, 1986). The device comprises a cylindrical container for the preparation and a lid. The rate of evaporation of the medicinal preparation from the device is regulated by a screw pair, one element of which is located in the center of the bottom of the container, and the other in the center of the lid. This device is ineffective and has low productivity when implementing a technological process in which natural evaporation of the preparation is directly dependent on the ambient temperature and is effective within a specific range of 15-25 Celsius.

[0011] A method for treating bees against varroatosis is known (prototype) USSR patent SU (11) 1 655 410 A1, application no. 2 970158, 1980.05.29 IPC A01K 51 / 00 (2006.01). The preparation is introduced into the hive in the form of an aerosol, which is obtained using a sprayer or a smoker. The aerosol is introduced into all inter-frame spaces at a dose of 2-9 ml 3-5 times with an interval of 6-3 days in the spring and autumn. The aerosol is introduced from above the bee nest in turn into all inter-frame spaces near the rear wall of the hive. This method has disadvantages, is labor-intensive, expensive, and requires special equipment. This method distracts the beekeeper from working with the smoker, which reduces productivity and the quality of beekeeping. Moreover, the smoke is not purified of impurities that are toxic to bees and bee products, and the hot smoke emitted from the smoker can burn the bees.

[0012] Natural evaporation of the medicinal product at low temperatures occurs slowly over several days, but at high ambient temperatures it occurs very quickly, which becomes dangerous for bees and beekeepers. In both cases, evaporation

[0013] 2

[0014] The SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) for the medicinal product is poorly controlled, leading to entire bee colonies abandoning their hives due to difficulty breathing. This leads to high rates of injury to the bees, a decrease in queen fertility, and ultimately, the unnecessary loss of queens. Often, when treated with reagents, bees, in an attempt to escape, cluster together, moving to the front and side walls of the hives, and downwards. This also causes mites on the bees to escape the reagent's effects, but they remain intact and then return to the hives. The use of the reagent during the summer honey flow period using traditional methods of treating bee colonies is limited or completely prohibited due to the accumulation of residual quantities of the medicinal product in bee products.

[0015] The purpose of the invention, for which the proposed method is aimed, is to reduce the cost and speed up the process of treating bee colonies, improve the environmental friendliness and safety of using the drug, increase the effectiveness of delivering the drug into the hive, expand the temperature range of the drug application, the possibility of safe use of reagents in the summer during the period of active honey production, save drugs and make it mobile.

[0016] The technical result of this approach is the implementation of this purpose, resulting in accelerated treatment of bee colonies, including a reduction in the time required for a single treatment of bees in hives until mites are completely removed, with a visible acaricidal effect achieved. The drug can be effectively used at virtually any ambient temperature, improving the environmental friendliness and effectiveness of bee colony treatment while minimizing the negative impact of the reagent. The method is fireproof, requires little labor and energy, and offers high colony treatment speed, allowing for the sequential or simultaneous combination of several different products and controlled spray dosage. The dosage of the drug delivered to the hives is controlled by precisely injecting the drug into the container with a syringe, and visually monitoring its evaporation.At low ambient temperatures outside the effective range of the known temperature range, a hair dryer or other similar device can be used as a blower, supplying heated air to the container.

[0017] The stated objective is achieved by the fact that the proposed method of combating mites, which includes treating bee colonies in hives with an 85% concentration of formic acid, uses a method of sublimating medicinal preparations with air, supplied under high pressure and speed into a container inside which the medicinal preparation is located (7) - Fig. 1. The device consists (Fig. 1) of a transparent body (container) - 1, a lid - 2,

[0018] 3

[0019] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) with an outer cone-shaped tube attached to it - 3, a valve - 4 dividing the tube into two parts, two branches - 5, hermetically connected to the outer tube, a cannula - 6, for injection of liquid medications.

[0020] The reverse side of the lid of the finished device is shown in (Fig. 2)

[0021] The device operates as follows. A high-velocity air stream supplied by an external blower through the inlet of the outer tube (3) meets the dividing valve and is redirected through the near (long) branch pipe (5) into the container (1), creating powerful air vortexes that break up and crush the medicinal product into a fine dust (tiny particles), which are then ejected from the tube along with the gas (air) through the second (short) branch pipe. The tip (nozzle) of the tube (8) can be hollow and of various shapes and cross-sections and is used to atomize the substance, if necessary, to change the structure and shape of the sprayed aerosol stream (an aerosol is the smallest particles of a substance in a liquid state, distributed in a gas).

[0022] The high-speed spraying of the medicinal product, created by the air blower's pressure, penetrates any crevices and hard-to-reach areas of the hive. The product's ultra-fine particles and the high airflow velocity make it more effective than conventional sprayers. To treat bee colonies, the tube can be inserted into openings in the bottom, top, or other parts of the hive body. Household blowers, compressors, or any other similar devices can be used as air blowers.

[0023] When treated with the proposed method, bees are unable to and / or reluctant to leave the hives, ensuring complete eradication of mites on the bees, within the honeycombs, and elsewhere in the hive. The temperature range tested by the author for treating bees with the proposed method ranges from 5 to 30 degrees Celsius. The proposed method simultaneously targets Varroa and Tropi mites through two factors: mechanical (vibration) generated by powerful air currents and biological (medicinal) action.

[0024] The achieved technical result not only accelerates the onset of the acaricidal effect compared to the prototype, but also allows for a reduction in the administered reagent dose depending on external factors. It also increases the efficiency of converting the medicinal substance from the original substance into an aerosol, helping to reduce the undesirable side effects of the reagent on bee colonies and the beekeeper. By adjusting the air flow rate, the beekeeper can accelerate or slow down the process of breaking up the liquid into numerous small particles and delivering it to the hive.

[0025] 4

[0026] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) The claimed method utilizes forced and rapid injection of a medicinal product mixed with air. This results in a short-term, rapid effect under air pressure controlled by the beekeeper, and does not cause harmful consequences for bee colonies. However, even such short-term exposure to the medicinal product is detrimental to mites. When implementing this method, different bee colonies experience disruptions ranging from one to several minutes, thereby achieving high efficiency and optimizing colony performance.

[0027] The resulting acaricidal effect is achieved through the combined action of the biological factor of the drug with the mechanical factor from vibration created by the high-speed air flow, partially affecting the mites sitting directly on the bees and on the cells with bee brood, which contributes to increasing the final effectiveness of the declared method.

[0028] The rapid and short-term treatment of bee colonies using the proposed method is especially relevant for beekeepers in June-August, when the greatest accumulation and reproduction of mites occurs, since the prolonged use of reagents during the honey flow seems dangerous, since the reagents, when evaporating for a long time inside the hive, easily end up in the honey.

[0029] The proposed anti-mite treatment method can be applied to the entire bee colony or to a small portion of it by selectively directing the airflow of the medication to specific parts of the hive. Therefore, the method can be used to determine the presence of mites in bee colonies.

[0030] A comparative analysis shows that the claimed method differs from known methods and devices in that the known device regulates the evaporation of the medicinal product from the device via a screw pair and occurs naturally over a long period of time, requiring a large number of units to treat the entire apiary. The claimed method features high-speed forced injection of the medicinal product into the hives, the ability to selectively direct the medicinal product to different parts of the hives, is virtually independent of weather and temperature conditions, is mobile, and is safe for bees and beekeepers. It also offers other technical advantages, clearly absent from the prior art solution, as described above. Therefore, this technical solution meets the "novelty" criterion.

[0031] While examining the state of the art in the process of conducting a patent search across all types of information, including publicly available information in the press, it was discovered that the claimed

[0032] 5

[0033] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) the technical solution for the method of treating bees from mites does not clearly follow from the currently known existing level of technology for a specialist, therefore it can be concluded that the claimed invention meets the criterion of "inventive step".

[0034] To confirm the effectiveness of the method, the author conducted experiments. The work was carried out from 2022 to 2024 at the author's farm apiaries and those of other beekeepers in the Chechen Republic. The study utilized a device and its application method developed by the author. Colonies were treated both during the queen hatching period and after their emergence from the queen cells, in spring, summer, and fall. Before the trials, control groups were formed from colonies identical in terms of mite infestation, queen breed, and age to obtain objective data.

[0035] Some experimental results of mite shedding rates under identical initial conditions using the proposed method, compared to other methods of treating bee colonies with similarly effective reagents, are presented in Tables 1 and 2. The count of fallen mites and the effect of the anti-mite treatment are clearly visible on the hive floor. Before treatment, to facilitate counting fallen mites, the hive floor is lubricated with a slow-drying oil such as Vaseline, castor oil, or sunflower oil. This oil traps fallen mites, and the bees can easily overcome it. Alternatively, an anti-mite net is used.

[0036] Studies were conducted to evaluate the acaricidal effect depending on the airflow rate, airflow temperature, and ambient temperature, as well as treatment of bee colonies with an 80% concentration of formic acid. Objective data collection from bee colony experiments was conducted over a period of 14-21 days. The proposed method demonstrated high effectiveness at ambient temperatures ranging from 5 to 30 degrees Celsius.

[0037] The inventor of the invention has tested the effectiveness of the proposed method in numerous experiments. These experiments have shown that with 5-10-15 seconds of forced, high-speed evaporation of the medicinal product (the exposure time on the bee colony) using the proposed method, the disruption to bee colony function averages approximately 1 minute and has no negative impact on the colony's vital functions. This ensures the proposed method's high efficiency and optimizes colony function, reduces the potential for adverse effects of medicinal vapors on the beekeeper, and increases the effectiveness of formic acid application.

[0038] Several beekeepers have used the author's technique and have expressed positive feedback on the method. Positive reviews of the proposed

[0039] 6

[0040] The SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) for this method was expressed by beekeepers and at various public events for beekeepers. The method was highly praised by Natalia Leonidovna Popova, an honorary worker of higher professional education, associate professor of the department of the Academy of Beekeeping, and international beekeeping expert (Ryazan) (Appendix 1).

[0041] Since October 2024, the proposed method has been actively demonstrated by the author at various public events of the Beekeepers of Russia:

[0042] Table 1: Tick loss after treatment with the proposed method compared to treatment with other methods using similar means

[0043] 7

[0044] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) Table 2 of the fallout of mites with the replacement of hives after treatment by the proposed method in comparison with treatment by other methods with similar means.

[0045] - October 4, 2024, at the Apiforum and the Best Honey of Russia 2024 competition in Serpukhov, where the author was awarded a 3rd-place medal for the high-quality honey. (Link: October 3-4, 2024, at the Best Honey of Russia competition in Serpukhov - Yandex: 12 results found)

[0046] On November 14-15, 2024, at the International Scientific and Practical Conference of Beekeepers “World and Russian Trends in Beekeeping and Apitherapy: Realities and Challenges of the Future” held in the city of Rybnoye, the Research Institute of Beekeeping (link to the website of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Ryazan Region: “An international conference on beekeeping and apitherapy is being held in Rybnoye,

[0047] 8

[0048] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) November 20-21, 2024 at the “5th reporting and election congress of the Union of Beekeepers of Russia” (photo. 1) where the author (in the photo) was awarded the Medal for High Achievements by Resolution No. 7 of the Board of the Union of Beekeepers of Russia (photo 2)

[0049] 9

[0050] SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)

Claims

How to treat bees for mites Invention formula 1. A method for treating bees from mites with formic acid, characterized in that the anti-mite treatment of bee colonies is carried out with a stream of aerosol sprayed using a device that includes a container with a lid hermetically sealed with a cannula for metered injection of acid and a cone-shaped tube divided by a valve into an inlet and outlet portions connected to vertical long and short pipes, respectively, wherein an air stream is supplied through the inlet portion of the cone-shaped tube, which, upon meeting the dividing valve, is redirected through the long pipe into the interior of a container with an aqueous solution of formic acid, creating vortex flows that form an aerosol, the resulting aerosol enters the outlet portion of the cone-shaped tube of the device through the short pipe, and through its tip the aerosol stream is directed to the parts of the hive that are subject to anti-mite treatment.

2. The method according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the air supplied to the device is heated.

3. The method according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the treatment of bee colonies occurs once a day for 15 seconds for 14 days, every other day.

4. The method according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the treatment of bee colonies occurs once a day for 5-10 seconds for 21 days, every other day. 10 SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)

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