NUTRITIONAL SOLID COMPOSITIONS WITH ACARICIDE ACTIVITY FOR APICULTURE AND THEIR USE FOR THE PROPHYLAXIS AND TREATMENT OF VARROA INFESTATIONS

The present invention concerns nutritional solid compositions, i.e. in powder or in patties, for apiculture and their use for the prophylaxis and treatment of varroa infestations. More specifically, the invention relates to a specifically calibrated solid diet for consumption by colonies of domestic honeybees, in substitution or in addition to the natural nourishment that the insects derive from their normal activity of collecting and processing nectar, pollen and other natural materials, wherein the diet also exerts an acaricidal action. The consumption of the proposed nutrient and therapeutic feed helps the treated bees not only to resist the disease known as “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD), but it also causes a reduction in the mites that infest the colony, in particular the Varroa destructor mite.

Bees are the kind of social insects most appreciated and studied since antiquity, whose usefulness is certainly known since prehistoric times. As other hymenopters in the family of Apidae, bees collect nectar and pollen to feed their offspring and to store them in their combs as food storage.

While bees are not the only group of pollinators (i.e., insects which, with their activities, carry pollen from flower to flower allowing pollination and the subsequent formation of the fruit), honey bees are undoubtedly the most important one for humans, also for the various products that their colonies develop from nectar and other materials collected by foraging, including first of all honey, but also beeswax, propolis, royal jelly. Unlike other social apidae such as bumblebees, which perform similar functions as pollinators useful to agriculture but most of which do not survive the winter (with the exception of fertilized queens), the bees accumulate and process amounts of food stocks to be sufficient to pass the winter, because their colony is able to winter along with their queen, which can live 4-5 years.

For these reasons, bees have been used since the dawn of civilization as real domestic animals and were reared according to ancestral and consolidated techniques over time, applying a knowledge which is a branch of animal husbandry, beekeeping.

These insects play a vital role in the reproduction of plants with entomophilous pollination. To understand the role of bees in agriculture around the world it is enough to consider that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has estimated that 71 out of the 100 species of plants that provide 90% of the food worldwide are associated with bee pollination.

It is known that the population dynamics of a bee colony is significantly influenced by the nutritional status of the colony, which controls the development, production and survival of the colony. It is also well known that the necessary food for bees are carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and vitamins: carbohydrates provide energy and are contained in nectar and honey; the other substances are present in pollen and are essential both for the production of larval food and for a balanced functioning of the bee's life. In recent years, for various reasons (including diseases, poisoning, reduction of foraging areas, etc.) it has often become an indispensable requirement for the beekeeper to intervene With additional nutrition, which favours the survival of the hives or prepares them for a certain flowering (Frilli F. et al., Confronto tra gli effetti di diversi tipi di alimento per le api [Comparison between the effects of various typed of feed for bees], Notiziario ERSA March 2009). Sugar nutrition is the most practiced by beekeepers; it consists of delivering syrups or patties (obtained from sugars from various sources) with the aim of integrating the energy needs of the bees. In relation to the needs and to the administration time, sugar nutrition can either be “stimulant”, if carried out to increase the egg laying by the queen or to induce the colonies to recover after stress factors (poisonings, diseases, swarming, environmental adversity), or “compensatory”, if the aim is to build up the winter stocks to avoid starvation of hives during periods of low availability.

Protein nutrition, which compensates for a lack of pollen, is a less applied nutrition technique, but sometimes it can be of vital importance to a colony of bees: in fact, the lack of pollen may entail a reduction of the bees' longevity and the reduction or total blockade of the brood, with consequent depopulation and collapse of the colonies.

Protein feeding can be done by providing the hives exclusively with (pre-harvested) pollen, by integrating the pollen with (up to 25% by weight) an artificial protein component (supplemental protein nutrition) or by administering only artificial protein components (substitute protein nutrition). Very often various protein components (soybean meal, sunflower meal, yeast, powdered milk, etc.) are mixed together to achieve higher nutritional value, but it is important that the total quantity of protein food preparation be between 10 and 15 wt %, as higher values can lead to toxic effects on bees.

With reference to the choice of an appropriate food for a colony of honeybees, the International Patent Application publication No. WO 2006/073955 (The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of Agriculture) having title “Artificial diets for domestic honey bees” discloses water-dispersible preparations consisting of homogeneous mixtures of nutrients in effective amounts and proportions to support growth and development of domestic bees. The components required in the described nutritional composition are proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, ash, cholesterol, ascorbic acid, an acidifier, an antimicrobial/antifungal agent for the preservation of the mixture and water, in the appropriate proportions, and as a source of proteins and lipids, soy and/or egg are proposed.

One of the major problems of the apiary is to safeguard the health of the colonies. The honey bee diseases that may develop are numerous, as a result of the action of several pathogenetic organisms, including parasite insects, unicellular fungi, bacteria and viruses, which can affect the bees in the different stages of their development.

The two best known pathogens to the beekeepers are Varroa destructor mite and Nosema apis microsporidium. The Varroa mite is an external parasite, which attaches to the body of the bee and weakens it by sucking its hemolymph. During this process the mite may also transmit viral agents to the bee. Such mites were also found on other pollinator insects, such as bumblebees, beetles and flies, but they can only reproduce in a colony of honeybees.

Once in the colony, the female mite enters a brood cell of honey bees, giving preference to a cell containing a male brood, i.e. a drone larva. Once the cell is capped, the mite lays its eggs, after which the young mites hatch more or less at the same moment as the young bee develops, and the latter leaves the cell with its guests.

The population dynamics highlighted above shows that a large population of mites in autumn could lead to a crisis when drones rearing ceases and the mites turn to the worker bees' larvae, causing a rapid decimation of the population and often the death of the hive. For this reason, the varroa mite is the parasite with the most pronounced economic impact in the apiary industry.

To fight or prevent the infestation by Varroa destructor different physical or mechanical methods are known and used to control the number of mites in the colony, as well as miticide products, either synthetic (pyrethroids, organo-phosphates) or of natural origin, such as oxalic acid- and/or formic acid-based preparations, or preparations based on thyme essential oil (or on synthetic thymol).

The unicellular fungus Nosema apis (more recently found in a similar form also in Apis cerana, and called in this circumstance Nosema ceranae) is characterized by a dormant state consisting of spores resistant to changes in temperature and humidity. The nosema spores, in fact, cannot be destroyed by freezing the contaminated combs. The spores are localized in intestinal epithelial cells and other cells of adult bees, where they begin their growth, heading for a series of cell divisions, invading the intestinal tract and thus causing the pathology known as nosemosis. This is manifested by dysentery evidenced by yellowish droppings outside the beehive, a slow growth of the colony, disjointed wings and distended abdomen in affected individuals. The mature spores come out with the feces, contributing to the propagation of the disease.

If untreated, nosema infection may reach the queen, causing an early replacement of the queen by workers remained healthy. The disease hinders the digestion of pollen, and therefore reduces the life of bees, and can be fought with greater difficulty in colder climates, where bees spend more time in the hive. In order to reduce the infection beekeepers, use to increase the aeration in the hive and remove, as much as possible, the honey gathered by the bees for winter, feeding them with sugar solutions in replacement. The pharmacological treatments available in case of need are based on fumagillin, an antibiotic that was shown to be particularly effective for inhibiting the reproduction of spores in the host but is not able to kill them. Spores can be inactivated, in the disinfestation of the beehive, by treating them with acetic acid or formalin.

A further threat to beekeeping is represented by the “small hive beetle”, an insect of the Nitidulidae family that infests Apis mellifera colonies. The small beetle can cause damage to honeycombs and the loss of honey and pollen, leading to the extreme consequence of the loss of the colony.

Other pathogens for Apis mellifera which have been investigated for their possible involvement in recent episodes of honeybees epidemics are viral agents, including the Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (ABPV or APV), which is considered to be a common infective agent of bees, and a virus related to the previous one, described in 2004, known as Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) due to the fact that it was identified in Israel for the first time. It was considered that the IAPV virus plays a critical role in cases of sudden collapse of honeybee's colonies infested by the parasite mite Varroa destructor.

Another viral pathogen recently studied for similar reasons is the invertebrates' iridescent virus type 6 (IIV-6), which was identified in 2010 as a co-infectious agent in several colonies of honey bees collapsed as a result of infection by Nosema ceranae.

Over the last twenty years, parasite mites have certainly caused severe damage to beekeeping, also in view of the fact that they transmit harmful viruses to bees, therefore causing significant losses of colonies each year.

In order to describe the sudden disappearance of colonies that have occurred over the past 15 years, It was coined the term “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD).

Possible causes that have been suggested for CCD comprise management practices of the beekeepers, especially the stress on the colonies due to environmental changes, malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies associated with the presence of extensive monocultures, heavy use of new neonicotinoid-based pesticides and related practices and procedures for application, various pathogens such as infestation by parasite mites, nosema infections and viral infections (including IAPV virus), climate change, electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones or other devices created by man, genetically modified crops (GMOs) such as GM maize, new exotic pests and pathogens, decreased immunity to pathogens, and the subtle interactions between two or more of these factors. It is not yet known whether only one of these factors may be the real responsible factor, or it is a combination of factors which act independently indifferent areas affected by CCD, or factors that act in combination with each other, although more recent information suggest that a combination of several factors is the most likely hypothesis.

As a result of the foregoing, Colony Collapse Disorder was defined as a new syndrome of multifactorial kind which leads to the death of a very large number of colonies of bees. With regard to the diagnosis, a colony which has collapsed from CCD tends to show all of the following signs:

• • a) presence of a brood of abandoned larvae (usually bees do not abandon the brood until they are all hatched);
  • b) presence of food stores, both pollen and honey, which are not immediately robbed by other bees, or are attacked by other insects with remarkable delay;
  • c) presence of the queen in the beehive (otherwise, the phenomenon is not attributable to CCD).

In order to provide a method for the prevention and treatment of Colony Collapse Disorder in bees colonies that have not previously suffered an irreversible collapse episode, the international patent application WO 2013/0300854 (of the current Applicant) proposed the use of an automated nebulizing apparatus to be placed near the beehive, for the administration of a nourishing liquid preparation for bees based on ingredients with a high nourishing, restorative, antioxidant and curative activity. In developing the composition of the preparation, it was considered that, although not yet fully understood in its triggering mechanisms, CCD is most likely a multifactorial syndrome, and therefore any effective treatment had to start from prevention, aiming at maintaining a general state of good health in the colony, and at eliminating any possibility of nutritional deficiencies that could cause lowering of the immune defenses.

Considering that the Varroa destructor acariosis and the endemic presence of Nosema, as well as the presence of viral pathogens such as IAPV and IIV-6, together with the effects of new generation pesticides (in particular, neonicotinoids) poisoning, are among the most frequent or more likely causes of weakening of the colonies, a method for prophylaxis and therapy of CCD was proposed for colonies of domestic bees. Such method consists in continuously administering to the bees to be treated, through an equipment designed for this purpose, a nutritional and therapeutic composition specifically formulated in aqueous solution.

The aqueous solution or suspension to be administered to the bees according to the mentioned WO publication is obtained from the combination of: a) nutrient and tonic ingredients mostly based on sugar, lower organic acids, powdered milk and/or yeasts: b) natural antioxidants and antiseptics having high activity, contained in the extracts of some plants known for their herbal properties: Crocus sativus, Pelargonium graveolens, Monarda citriodora, Myristica fragrans, Origanum vulgare, Origanum majorana; and c) therapeutic substances for bees, having the ability of preventing or countering the proliferation of ectoparasite mites and fungal forms harmful to bees, selected among thymol, oxalic acid, extract of Thymus vulgaris, extracts of Aloe arborescens, extracts of Beta vulgaris and mixtures of two or more of the same.

The combination of ingredients described in the mentioned WO publication is able to prevent nutritional deficiencies, safeguard the health status of the colonies treated and counteract at least in part the effect of pesticide contamination such as neonicotinoids, thus drastically reducing the risk of contracting CCD or mitigating its effects. However, the liquid product and the method of administration described are not exempt from a series of practical disadvantages, including, first of all, the limited durability of the product in solution, the complexity and the cost of the operations of preparation and distribution of the product to the utilization sites and in the hives, requiring dilutions of the initial concentrate and control of the percentages of the ingredients in the final solution, the impossibility of separating the ingredients in the nourishing and curative solution so as to be able to offer the bees a differentiated diet to be consumed depending on the needs and the season.

In the light of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to exploit the calibrated dietary formulation proposed in the previous patent document, and the synergies of action that said formulation offers from the point of view of the selection of ingredients, to formulate a composition having substantially the same ingredients, but presented in the form of dry, granular powder, or candy or loaf (patties) to be produced by mixing the dry powder with water or vegetable oil and sugar.

Starting from the aforementioned object, it has been unexpectedly found that when a product having the same ingredients described in WO 2013/0300854 was produced and distributed as a solid to bees, i.e. in powder, where “powder” means a product having an average particle size between 10 μm and 1000 μM (1 mm)—or in “patties” or candy, obtained from 10-25% by weight of powder with the addition of water and sugar (and possibly with the addition vegetable oils of various kinds, such as coconut oil, soybean oil, etc., or agar or glycerin), an unique effect was created within the hive, which was not reproducible with the liquid product: the bees infested with Varroa destructor and other parasitic mites were “physically” freed from the parasites, which fell dead on the bottom of the hive within 24-36 hours at most, and there was reduction in the acariosis that could be as high as 100%.

As is known, the estimate of the mite population through the examination of the larval stages is a very precise method that evaluates the percentage of cells with varroa. In one brood, a level of less than 5% of cells that visually show the presence of varroa larvae indicates a moderate infestation, while a level of 25% or more of infested brood indicates a serious infestation, which requires immediate treatment or even more drastic actions, such as removing the same brood.

Alternatively, the evaluation of Varroa infestation is carried out on adult bees by the use of the well-known icing sugar test (Macedo, Paul A. et al., “Using Inert Dusts to Detect and Assess Varroa Infestations in Honey Bee Colonies.” Journal of Apicultural Research 2002, 41 (1-2): 3-7; Lee, K V et al., “Standardized Sampling Plan to Detect Varroa Density in Colonies and Apiaries.” American Bee Journal 2010, 150 (12): 1151-55). This technique may be applied on the whole colony or to a well-defined amount of bees (German method). The threshold adopted in Germany and established on 50 g of bees is defined by the following table.

Although not wishing to remain bound by any theory about the mechanism of action of the preparation according to the present invention, it is believed that, by consuming the powdered product, the bee carrying the parasite on its back comes into contact with a thin film of natural evaporation originating from the powdered product itself. A sort of light but continuous fumigation would occur, due to the high volatility of the antioxidant compounds and of some of the ingredients of the powder product. Such emanations would already ready be active above 18° C. (a temperature which is easily reached inside the apiary during summer and autumn), and they are not in any way dangerous to the bees, while they are lethal to varroa mites and other parasitic mites that lead to further pathologies and viral infections (including Nosema) for bees.

In case of use of the product in areas of the globe with outdoor temperatures below 18° C., deep frame feeders with heating jacket inside the hive may be used, or the inside of the hives may be heated directly, or other similar devices may be used, by which the powder product according to the invention may be heated and brought to the required evaporation.

Experimental tests carried out in various geographical locations on the globe (including the USA, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey and Italy) have shown that, in bees infested with varroa and coming in contact with the powdered product, the parasites are subjected to exposure of the emissions mentioned above and, starting from the first 24-36 hours and in any case within 8 days of treatment, the parasites die, as is reported herein in the experimental section. The duration of the treatment varies depending on the product dosages, the external temperature and internal temperature of the hive, the weather conditions and, above all, the degree of initial infestation of the mites, with a reduction of the acariosis that can reach 100%.

Therefore, in view of the foregoing, the present invention is directed to the use of a powder composition, optionally in the form of patties, having a formulation substantially corresponding to the composition of ingredients of document WO 2013/0300854, for use as a solid food for bees and at the same time as a therapeutic supplement with acaricidal action.

According to an aspect of the invention which is complementary to the previous one, a method of feeding and treatment of colonies of domestic bees is proposed for the prevention and control of acariosis, and, particularly, of Varroa destructor infestations, which method consists in administering suitable doses of the mentioned product in powder form or in the form of patties.

Therefore, the present invention specifically provides a solid nutritional composition, i.e. in powder or in patties, for use as nourishment for bees and for the prophylaxis and treatment of acariosis, in particular of Varroa destructor infestations, comprising the following ingredients:

• • a) tonic and nutritious ingredients, mainly consisting of: algae containing vegetal proteins, alone or in combination with yeasts; sugars and lower organic acids;
  • b) natural antioxidants and antiseptics contained in the essential extracts of Origanum vulgare and Pelargonium graveolens or geranium essential oil, and in the essential extract of one or more other aromatic or medicinal plants selected from Crocus sativus, Monarda citriodora, Melissa officinalis, Myristica fragrans and Origanum majorana; and
  • c) curative substances for bees, comprising at least one of thymol and essential extract of Thymus vulgaris, and at least one of oxalic acid, extracts of Aloe vera or Aloe arborescens, geraniol and extracts of Beta vulgaris cv. Altissima and mixtures of two or more of the same.

Other features and preferred embodiments of the solid compositions for use according to the invention are set out in the dependent claims.

By comparing the solid product which is proposed for use as a feed for beekeeping and/or as an acaricide agent according to the invention with the liquid product of the prior art, it is to be noted that the strengths of the solid (powder) product are the following:

• • Durability of the product (in liquid form the product has a shelf life of 18 months, while in powder form the shelf life is 30 months);
  • Greater ease and economy of transport;
  • Greater ease of administration, avoiding the need for water or other liquids, such as sugar molasses or syrups;
  • Less time and lower labor costs to distribute the product in the hive, as it is a ready-made product and does not require dilution operations with control of the water percentages in solution, weighing, or problems of finding a source of water;
  • Greater durability of the product inside the apiary;
  • Possibility for bees to consume the product in a selective manner: in fact, in the liquid form the key ingredients are completely solubilized and cannot be separated, while the granular/powder form gives the bees the opportunity to consume the product according to the needs of the season and according to specific needs. In the tests carried out and in the numerous videos that were made to study how the bees consume the powdered product, it has been found that when the bees want to take more carbohydrates they use the ligula and labial glossa (with probable increase in the production of enzymes from the labial and thoracic glands located in the anterior ventral portion of the thorax) to dissolve the sugary substances, whereas when they require greater protein content they tend to bite and crush the granules of the powdered product with the mandibular apparatus and the support of the two mandibular glands;
  • Greater flexibility and control of the Substances and ingredients to be assumed by the bees of the three castes (workers, drones, queen) through the average size of the granules of the powdered product (particle size), which can range from 10 to 1000 μm (similar to the average size of pollen in nature). Furthermore:
    • a) under 10 μm size the powder product shows drawbacks such as compaction, and in general it is more prone to absorption of moisture and tither liquid products present in the beehive, with acceleration of the degradation of the product quality;
    • b) for particle sizes exceeding 1000 μm there may be problems in the homogenization of the basic ingredients of the formulation, with concentration gradients not uniformly distributed; also, a greater difficulty for bees in eating the product due to the weight of the single granule is possible, as well as a difficulty in handling the granule itself during consumption.

As already noted in the previous document, in general the substances that can be used in the preparation according to the invention are as follows:

Yeasts, of which the bees are very fond, as for example brewer's yeast, which is very rich in vitamins B, are preferably added to amino acids of vegetable origin contained in algae. According to some preferred embodiments of the invention, said algae are spirulina (Arthrospira platensis), kelp (Laminariales), Klamath (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae) or chlorella (Chlorella vulgaris). The protein content of these algae is about 50%, with a fat content of about 7%.

A proper blending of protein sources is essential to ensure the appropriate percentages of amino acids that are essential for the development of larvae and adult individuals. In addition to being essential for their amino acid contribution, algae are used for their supply of micronutrients, minerals (up to 1.5% in dry weight of the algae), iron and other metals and vitamins (up to 2% by dry weight of the algae).

In particular, it has been noted that the addition of proteins of vegetal origin such as algae and brewer's yeast instead of animal proteins in the formulation results in a triple advantage: a) a component (i.e. milk) is eliminated which, due to the content of caseins, is subject to rancidity; b) the protein content contained in the feed significantly increased; c) the palatability of the product for bees is improved, as the bees consume the product better than the corresponding product with animal proteins. In addition, a possible toxicity to bees due to the use of an animal source of proteins is eliminated, and a product having an amino acid pattern similar to that of royal jelly and of pollen is obtained in terms of percentages and types of amino acids present. Moreover, a formula is obtained which can be used in powder form for the preparation of patties or cake.

To increase the palatability of the protein feed to be administered, sugars of the glucose, dextrose or fructose type. Actually, it is possible to add pollen and/or icing sugar (sucrose) in an amount ranging from 5% to 15% on the total dry weight of the formulation. As nutrients vitamin E, and essential amino acids extracted from Aloe arborescens or Aloe vera have also been used, which are listed below among the substances having curative activity.

Acetic acid and/or lower carboxylic or dicarboxylic acids C₂-C₆. Acetic acid, tartaric acid and citric acid have the ability to cleave the molecules of sucrose, promoting assimilation by the bees. Also, said acids are antifungals useful in combating the presence of the fungus Nosema and other fungal forms. Specifically, the formulation may contain acetic acid at a maximum concentration of 6% by weight, that helps to have a product pH below 7. A source of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), such as, for example, lemon juice (which contains the same, in addition to the most abundant citric acid), may be included in the formulation as a vitamin compound, as well as an anti-oxidant.

Sources of fatty acids: lecithin, or a mixture of oils or a mixture of oils and lecithin, as a source of short, medium and long chain fatty acids may be added. For example, ricinoleic, tricosanoic, myristic, myristoleic, linoleic, palmitic, palmitoleic, lauric acids, in which the correct ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids must be set to at from 0.01% to 3%

Sources of sterols: for example, a combination of 24 methylene cholesterol, campesterol, beta-sitosterol, cholesterol (0.01% to 4%), canola oil derivatives, borage oil (Borago officinalis), Echinum spp. oil, turnip seed oil derivatives may be used.

Essential oils, or tpeircomponents, which increase the palatability of the product can be added, such as hydroxycinnamic acid, quercetin, rutin, narigenin, p-coumaric acid, contained in the essential oil of lemon balm and in the essential oil of monarda.

In the case of use as a candy products/patties: stabilizers for patties, such as emulsifiers, lecithin and vegetable oils (coconut oil and others) should be added.

Essential oils with a high content of antioxidants and/or antiseptics are added to the formulation, such as carotenoids of the type of crocetin, crocin and picrocrocin extracted from flowers and/or stigmas of saffron (extracts of Crocus sativus); essential oils as limonene, e.g. extracted from lemon; geraniol, citronellol, terpineol and linalool, extracted from Pelargonium graveolens (geranium), or from Monarda citriodora var. citriodora; myristicin, elemicin, geraniol and/or safrole and other aromatic ethers extracted from Myristica fragrans (nutmeg); carvacrol, thymol and other minor phenols extracted from Origanum vulgare (ssp hirtum); and terpenes such as terpineol, borneol, sabinene and linalool, extracted from Origanum majorana.

Said active ingredients can be extracted, for example, from the plant species mentioned above and usually have a purity exceeding 55%, or they can be made synthetically.

Another advantageous antioxidant of vegetable origin is obtained from the dried roots of a plant of the polygonaceae, Polygonum cuspidatum, from which a 98% resveratrol extract can be obtained. This powerful antioxidant is also present in other plants belonging to the genera Polygonaceae and Vitaceae.

To counteract and/or prevent mites, as well as harmful fungal forms, viruses including the IIV6 and IAPV and the undesired side effects of neonicotinoids, there were used, in alternative to thymol produced by synthesis, the biologically active substances contained in the essential oil of Thymus vulgaris (common thyme) of the types red thyme essential oil (or oil of first distillation) and white thyme essential oil (or oil of second distillation). Thyme, whose essential oil is widely used in beekeeping, contains the two phenolic compounds with biocidal activity thymol (very active against Varroa) and carvacrol. as well as cineol, borneol, menthone, pinene, geraniol, alpha-terpineol and other terpene compounds.

In addition, substances contained in the essential oil of Aloe vera, or in the essential oil of Aloe arborescens (a species of less widespread aloe but richer in active biological ingredients) can be used. Aloe vera contains, similarly to Aloe arborescens, many biologically active compounds, including acemannan (a mucopolysaccharide known for its immunomodulatory activity, with antiviral action), cinnamic acid (germicidal, fungicide, analgesic), crysophanic acid (antimycotic), anthraquinones, including aloin (bactericide) and emodin (antiviral); beta-sitosterol, in addition to salicylic acid (anti-inflammatory) isobarbaloin (analgesic), socaloin, capaloin and barbaloin (anti-bacterial). It should be noted that the extracts of this plant also contain all essential amino acids and vitamin E.

Moreover, according to the invention, a good efficacy has been found in the use of extracts of the common beet or Beta vulgaris cv. altissima (sugar beet), which contains betalains (red pigments, attractants for bees), flavonoids, trimethylglycine (betaine), compounds with antioxidant activity, oxalic acid and vitamins belonging to group B.

Other medicinal substances can be added by adding geranium essential oil, which is extracted from geranium (Pelargonium) flowers and leaves and has geraniol as its main component, which is a terpene alcohol active as an antiseptic or antibacterial, as well as borneol, citronellol, linalool, terpineol, limonene, pinene and α-methyl-eugenol, all of which are active antioxidants. Alternatively, only the chemical compound geraniol can be used.

Further, oxalic acid can be added to said extracts in amounts not higher than 0.1% of the total formulation,(to increase the disinfectant effect in synergy with the mentioned natural compounds.

Extracts (for example, alcoholic extracts) of fungal mycelium may be added, e.g. from fungi belonging to the phylum of the Basidiomycetes (Basidiomycota), order Polyporales, which have been shown to have antiviral properties against several viruses associated with the presence of varroa in the hive.

The following species may also be used: Fomes fomentarius, Ganoderma applanatum, Ganoderma resinaceum and Trametes versicolor, with final proportions from 0.01% to 1% by weight.

As regards the points that the nutritional product in powder form for apiculture according to the present invention has in common with the aqueous solution or aqueous suspension of the prior art, it is to be noted that the powder product, in being metabolized by the bees, does not lose its unique characteristics of:

1) Countering the poisoning by herbicides, such as paraquat, or pesticides of the neonicotenoid family of various generations. With regard to paraquat, it has been found that the solid product according to the invention (BeesVita Plus®) reduces the amount of ROS formed by the herbicide, thus showing for the first time that a nutritional system can reduce the adverse effects of pesticides. It should be noted that, among the ingredients responsible for this unique effect, stand out, both singly and for their synergistic effects with one another, the antioxidant and antiseptic compounds with high activity contained in the essential extracts of:

• • Origanum vulgare: contains oreganol, carvacrol and thymol, active against varroa.
  • Origanum majorana: contains carvacrol, thymol, oreganol, pinene, sabinene, terpineol, terpinene, camphene, as well as tannins, flavonoids (apigenol, borneol), rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid, which is very important for countering the side effects of neonicotinoids.
  • Myristica fragrans: contains triterpenes (camphene, pinene), monoterpenic alcohols (borneol, terpineol), cymol, dipentene, eugenol, geraniol, linalerol, sapol, safrole and myristicin. The monoterpenoid extracts which include terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol and 4-allyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenol have shown particularly strong antioxidant activities, and activities to counteract the effects of pesticides based on neonicotinoids. Three antifungal lignans were isolated and identified as eritro-austrobailignan-6 (EA6), meso-dihydroguaiaretic acid (MDA) and nectandrin-B (NB).
    2) Raising the immune defenses of bees in general, with increased gene expression. For the first time, a nutritional system has been able to limit the deleterious effects of a pesticide—a great advance in improving the bees' health in the field. In this regard, it was reported that the University of Maryland carried out a study in which the complete transcriptome of fat bodies of honey bees fed with the solid product according to the invention (BVP®) was analyzed. The observed gene expression profiles were extremely interesting, and the immune genes showed significant improvement under the effect of the solid product according to the invention. However, what most attracted the attention of the researchers was the behavior of the detoxification system. Bees act their own detoxification system to fight exogenous agents such as pesticides, and it results as a side effect that this activation generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can damage bees' tissues. Under the effect of BVP®, bees expressed fewer of the many genes responsible for the detoxification system, which is a clear indication that BVP® helped to detoxify bee systems. One of the ingredients responsible for this effect is
  • Crocus sativus: the essential extract of Crocus sativus contains crocin, pirocrocin and saffranal, fundamental to increase the resistance of the immune defenses of the bees.
    3) Increasing antioxidant power. The powdered dietary supplement product (BVP®) not only has 17 to 38 times more antioxidant power than other beekeeping products on the market, but it also proves to be more potent than vitamins B6 and B12 and beta-carotene in combination. This is also due to the presence of the extract of:
  • Pelargonium graveolens which contains, as noted, geraniol, borneol, citronellol, linalool, terpiheol, limonene, phellandrene, pinene, and methyleugenol, all very active anti-oxidants.
    4) Significantly-reducing losses of colonies;
    5) Substantially increasing honey production;
    6) Improving the overall health status of bees population;
    7) Increasing the weight and number of brood per frame;
    8) Reducing the losses of queens.

The following Table 1 shows an exemplary formulation of preferred embodiments of the nutritional and therapeutic preparation for use according to the invention, with preferred concentration ranges for the various ingredients.

According to a second aspect complementary to the above, the present invention consists of a method of treatment of colonies of domestic bees for the prevention and the therapy of acariosis through the administration of nutritious and therapeutic substances, which method consists in using the powder product, or in patties, having the following composition:

• • a) nutritional and tonic ingredients, mainly consisting: of algae containing vegetal proteins, alone or in combination with yeasts; sugars and lower organic acids;
  • b) natural antioxidants and antiseptics contained in the essential extracts of Origanum vulgare and Pelargonium graveolens or geranium essential oil, and in the essential oils of one or more other aromatic or medicinal plants selected from: Crocus sativus, Monarda citriodora, Melissa officinalis, Myristica fragrans, and Origanum majorana; and
  • c) substances medicinal to bees, comprising at least one of thymol and essential extracts of Thymus vulgaris, and at least one of oxalic acid, extracts of Aloe vera or Aloe arborescens, geraniol and extracts of Beta vulgaris cv. altissima, and mixtures of two or more of the same.

In the method of treatment according to the invention, preferred solutions are those wherein the said ingredients are as defined in the dependent claims.

In current use as a feed for beekeeping, the powder product for use according to the invention can be administered in doses of about 250 ml (1 cup) every 10 days, for a standard hive of 10 frames, administering the product from the top of the frames. When a therapeutic intervention to control the Varroa infestation is necessary, the dose should be increased to 500 ml (two cups) every 10 days, to be administered from the top between the internal frame and the external wall on both sides, or between the frames or directly to the bottom of the hive.

By way of examples, which are not to be considered as limiting but only as useful to clarify the therapeutic and prophylactic measures for varroa acariosis proposed according to the invention, three exemplary formulations of powdered preparations are reported below, which formulations were tested according to the method of the invention together with the results of some experiments carried out on the application thereof in laboratory and in the field.

Nutritional, Antioxidant and Acaricide Formulation with Low Protein Content

A first exemplary formulation of the product to be used according to the invention is as follows.

In order to obtain the preparation, a premix is created, called “Premix 1”, with the liquid extracts adsorbed in Aerosil 200 (Evonik) and a part of glucose, and another premix, called “Premix 2” with the ingredients in powder, i.e. citric acid powder, thymol etc.

In a horizontal double-helix stainless steel mixer (previously washed and dried) first a half part of the glucose is placed (with the mixer turned off), then the Premix 1 is sieved and then the Premix 2 is also sieved are thus arranged over the previous glucose; then the whole powdered milk and finally the rest of the glucose. The device is operated, mixing for 15 minutes, and immediately thereafter the product undergoes the packaging operations.

Two small samples representative of the product for the purpose of batch traceability and for quality control are taken at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the packaging process.

Nutritional, Antioxidant and Acaricide Formulation with Spirulina and Yeast at High Protein Value

A second exemplary formulation of the product to be used according to the invention is as follows.

1. Water soluble powder at pH 4.3

2. Sequence of ingredients

• • a. Add dextrose and spirulina powders;
  • b. Add glycerin and acetic acid;
  • c. Add essential oils individually;
  • d. Add other ingredients: aloe vera, citric acid, thymol, powder of beet and the other remaining in the list.

3. Production room—temperature and humidity conditions are controlled with air conditioning, to keep temperature around 18° C. (65° F.) and 40-45% relative humidity. The pressure is slightly lower than atmospheric by a ventilation system with filters to reduce dust levels in the air, for the safety of the working environment.

4. Equipment—Ingredients are weighted with platform scales. A steel horizontal single ribbon mixer with a capacity for 4000 lbs (about 1800 kg) is used. After mixing 3 minutes after last ingredient, the mixer is emptied into an auger hopper, where it goes through a vibrating screen and then it is moved into an overhead bagging bin. A bagging system fills each bag to 22 kg, and each bag is sealed with a heat sealer and placed onto a pallet. Prior to production the labels are applied to empty

Nutritional, Antioxidant and Acaricide Formulation with Algae, Yeast and Mushroom

A third exemplary formulation for producing the product to be used according to the invention is as follows.

The production method of the final product is the same as the previous example.

Nutritional, Antioxidant and Acaricide Formulation with Algae and Yeast to Prepare Patties

Formula 1 for patties: for maintenance without larvae or eggs in the hive

Formula 2 for patties: for increasing the number of larvae or eggs in hive in brooding period

The dextrose syrup used must be composed of 67% sugar and 33% water. It is preferable that the syrup is glucose (dextrose) or inverted sugar (fractional sucrose). The water to be used must be possible without chlorination or high levels of dissolved carbonates or minerals. When preparing the syrup, avoid heating above 28° C. to avoid the formation of hydroxymethyl furfural as it is poisonous for bees. Mix the dextrose in the water until the solid is completely dissolved.

After forming the 67% dextrose syrup, add the product of the invention (BeesVita Plus) in powder and mix. In the case of the product of Formula 2 in patties, to increase the number of eggs or larvae during the brooding periods also vegetable oil (palm or coconut) is to be added at the end of the process to obtain a soft dough; not dripping and having a certain malleability. This mixture will represent the final product in patties that can be placed as it is in the hive or wrapped in plastic bags to be cut and used at the time of use or placed on waxed or baking paper in the hive. For periods of long non-use of the product before administration it is possible to sterilize the final mixture with UV rays and use vacuum packs (thus reducing contamination or bacterial attack).

Effect of the Volatiles of the Powder Product According to the Invention (BVP®) on Varroa destructor Mortality (Pilot)

Overview: The pilot study has been carried out to better design an experiment to test the efficiency of BVP® volatiles components on Varroa destructor mortality.

Methods: two small 6×6×8 inches (15,24×15,24×20,32 cm) cages were prepared with a bottom chamber to host the BVP® powder and keep it separated from the bees. In each cage 18 Varroa infected bees were placed. In the lower chamber of the first cage, separated by a net, 50 g of BVP® were placed, while the lower chamber of the second cage remained empty.

The bees of each cage were provided with a sponge soaked in a 2 M sucrose solution.

After 48 hours the live bees were harvested and the phoretic mites were counted. Live mites and dead mites of each cage were counted.

Initial observations suggest the volatiles of BVP® repel mites, as upon being placed in the cage many mites jumped off the bees as compared to the control cage, in which this happened less frequently.

After 48 hours:

Cage with BVP®

It is evident there is an effect on the drop and mortality of mites that live phoretically on bees. This calls for a more robust experiment with greater statistical power.

Three apiaries were tested in the surrounding area of the city of Hamilton, Calif., named Shaw, Gravel East and Gravel West respectively. The study involved a positive control and the tested product, BVP®. The positive control consisted of a strip of “Mite Away II” (NOD Apiary Products USA, Inc.) that was positioned between the two larvae frames. The active ingredient of this product is formic acid. The strips were administered to 34 colonies in each considered apiary.

The product to be tested, BeesVita Plus®, was administered by adding 350 g was administered on 21 Dec. 2017 and finally the third on 28 Dec. 2017. For the apiaries Gravel East and Gravel West the treatment began on 15 Dec. 2017 with the first dose of 350 g, and continued with the second dose on 22 Dec. 2017 and with the third on 29 Dec. 2017.

In addition, about 150 g of product were also placed on the top of the larvae frames at the second treatment. In each apiary 34 colonies (to be tested by the control body) were treated in this way. Outside the primary study, 59 colonies were treated (strong enough to arrive at the final sampling): 24 at Shaw, 16 at Gravel West and 19 at Gravel East.

The initial sampling of the study colonies was carried out by the control body on December 13 in Shaw and on December 14 at the Gravel sites. The queen's status was determined either by the presence of eggs or by materially identifying the queen. The bees' frames were taken as a measure of colony's viability and a sample of about 300 bees was taken from each colony and stored in saline to be counted by the University of Maryland control agency to determine the mite levels. The final sampling started on 3 Jan. 2018 and will proceed until completion.

Measurements of mites taken outside this study were carried out by the Healthy Bees team. the protocol is as follows

A medium (cluster centric) frame was taken from the hive and inspected for the queen. If detected, it has been removed and placed safely inside the hive. About 300 bees from this frame were placed in a “Veto-Pharma Varroa EasyCheck” jar (closed by a mesh lid). About 250 ml of 70% isopropyl alcohol were added to the jar, and then the jar was stirred vigorously for about 30 seconds. The fallen mites were then counted, and the container was inspected for any additional mites. After this, the bees were checked to ensure the accuracy of the test.

The results obtained lead to the conclusion that the BVP® product helped control Varroa more efficiently than the common acaricide stripes with formic acid. In terms of the final levels of mites, the colonies treated with formic acid had an average of 4.26 mites per 100 bees and those treated with the product of the invention had an average of 3.26 mites per 100 bees.

The average reduction of mites per 100 bees with strips with formic acid was 40.35% while the average reduction of mites with BVP® was 54.8%.

Similar field tests were carried out in Turkey in 5 different locations with local bees (Anatolian bee and Caucasian bee), in Brazil (with Africanized bee) and at the IZS—Experimental Zooprophylaxis Institute.

In another series of field tests, also conducted in the USA, the effect of the solid product according to the invention, BeesVita Plus (BVP®) in the control of varroa infestations, as well as its effect on health of the honey bee colony was investigated.

A total of 144 colonies from three operations, consisting of 3 apiaries containing 16 apiary colonies (8 controls and 8 treatment colonies) were followed for a period of 2 months. Treatment colonies were fed with BVP every 10 days and were compared with positive control colonies, which received antivarroa treatment with a conventional product appropriate for the region and the time of year. During the whole experimentation, mortality of the colony, incidence of events affecting the queen, size of the population, area of the brood, as well as varroa, nosema and viral loads were measured.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of the BeesVita Plus product on colony health in field conditions in typical commercial settings, such as a product for spring mite control and feeding. The product was applied according to specifications in half of the colonies, while the other half was subject to the same management practices but without additional feed, with the exception of a standard varroa control treatment.

It has been noted that, as it happens in the case of any randomized trial conducted under realistic environmental conditions, the initial conditions between bee colonies and between the various apiaries were quite variable. In particular, although bee colonies were randomly assigned to the BVP or to the standard varroa control product groups, those colonies that had been assigned to the BVP treatments showed higher initial varroa rates due to chance, and this pattern remained constant during the study. However, the rate of varroa colonization in groups treated with BVP was not significantly different from the rate of increase in control colonies. Therefore, after taking into account the starting conditions; the evolution of varroa between the colonies treated with BVP and the control colonies, treated with the standard antivarroa product (Apivar and formic acid), was not different.

This study showed no significant difference in health outcomes between the colonies fed with BVP and the control colonies. Therefore, BVP, as a natural product for the control of varroa, did not behave differently from the two conventional products used as controls in the experimentation. This included no significant difference in the mortality of the colony, in the risk of queen events, in the variation of the population size, in the variation of the brood area, in the variations of the varroa loads, of the nosema loads and in the rates of infection and elimination of 7 target viruses.

The present invention has been described with particular reference to some embodiments thereof but it should be understood that changes and modifications may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as described in the appended claims.