Lithium chloride: an active substance against varroa?

The Institute of Apicultural Research at the University of Hohenheim has discovered an active substance against varroa: lithium chloride.

This is very good news, although the active substance—before being placed on the market as a medicinal product for bees—must of course undergo further testing to determine the optimal dosage and to rule out side effects for bees and users as well as the risk of residues. It will therefore still take some time before varroa control can be optimised.

German researchers have recently published a study on the effectiveness of lithium in the treatment against Varroa destructor. It appears that incorporating lithium into the feeding syrup of colonies acts on varroa through an acaricidal mechanism that is still insufficiently understood. The bees themselves do not seem to exhibit side effects, and their survival does not appear to be affected.

Lithium, well known in human pharmacology, therefore appears to be a promising solution, and further studies need to be conducted in apiculture.

For further details, read the press release of the University of Hohenheim (in German) or the related scientific article published in Scientific Reports (in English).