[Control strategies against Varroa mites]

In many cases, the easiest way to control a pest or a pathogen is to resort to chemical treatments. In the short period this option is often the most convenient economically and usually does not require refined knowledge of the biology of the pest. Many efforts have been directed to develop chemical treatments against Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman. Nowadays, product based on organic acids, essential oils, pyrethroids, organophosphate, and formamidine are available. Resistance is serious problem in the chemotherapy of parasites and pathogens of the honeybee. High-level resistance to several active substances (the pyrethroids acrinathrin, flumethrin, fluvalinate; the organophosphate coumaphos; the formamidine amitraz) was detected with laboratory assays in different varroa populations and caused failure of the control in the field. At the end of the '80s, products based on pyrethroids, very effective against the mite, but without any appreciable side effect on bees, became available. Resistance to fluvalinate in Italy and later in other countries caused serious damage to beekeeping; early detection was crucial to reduce losses. The problem of developing suitable treatments was difficult in the case of the varroa mite because most substances active against V. destructor have unacceptable side effects on bees. The idea that the mite could be controlled indefinitely with these strategies began to gain ground.