Abstract

Background:
Treatment of honey bee nosemosis is complicated by the ban on the use of antibiotics, which contaminate bee products. A search for environmentally friendly preparations aimed at suppressing the development of nosemosis pathogens is underway.

Aim:
The effect of herbal preparations Artemisia absinthium L. tincture and «HB-101»on the development of the nosemosis pathogen, Nosema ceranae, was studied.

Methods:
Three experimental groups and one control group were formed to test the preparations. Three days after infection, the groups were fed the preparations—«HB-101», «Fumagilin-B», 1.5% tincture of wormwood four times within an interval of 3 days. The average number of spores in a bee and the probability of survival were determined at the end of the experiment.

Results:
As a result of the experiment, it was confirmed that the most effective preparation was 1.5% tincture of A. absinthium (1.76 ± 0.47 million of spores), compared to the control group 4.94 ± 1.00 million spores per bee (q′=3.285, p ≤ 0.01). The approved preparation «Fumagilin-B» significantly reduced the number of spores to 2.13 ± 0.47 million spores. The preparation «HB-101» slightly reduced the count to 2.53 ± 0.66 million spores per bee. Together with the suppression of the development of the causative agent of nosemosis, the survival probability was also reduced. The greatest influence on survivability (p ≤ 0.01) was noted in 1.5% tincture of wormwood (0.073 ± 0.010) and preparation of «Fumagilin-B» (0.088 ± 0.005) compared with the control group (0.187 ± 0.008). Preparation «HB-101» reduced the probability of survival (p ≤ 0.05) to 0.161 ± 0.007.

Conclusion:
Wormwood tincture is a promising drug for nosemosis treatment.

Key words: Nosema ceranae; «HB-101»; «Fumagilin-B»; Artemisia absinthum.