Effect of Ambient Temperature and Humidity Conditions on the Efficacy of Organic Treatments against Varroa destructor in Different Climatic Zones of Chile

Varroasis is a disease caused by the mite Varroa destructor, which affects honeybees worldwide. It is estimated that it entered Chile in 1992, and it must be controlled through different types of treatments such as thymol, formic and oxalic acid in different formulations and presentations. This kind of organic products has shown a variable acaricidal capacity, since different factors affect their efficacy such as ambient temperature and humidity, product presentation and location inside the hive, etc.. In Chile, beekeeping takes place in four different climatic zones, in which ambient temperature and humidity as well as the duration of the apicultural season are different. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine how ambient temperature and humidity influence the efficacy of the organic treatments used in the beekeeping season. Different apiaries were installed in those climatic zones in three seasons between the years 2009 and 2012. All beehives received the same management in each apiary and it was