Investigation of inhibition of the pathogen Varirmorpha ceranaea (Nosema) in Apis mellfiera using plant extracts

Abstract

This study was applied at the College of Agriculture, University of Wasit, from September 16, 2025, to March 18, 2026. Three treatments were used: a control, a second treatment (Lavandula spica), and a third treatment (Vitellaria paradoxa). The study aimed to inhibit Nosema ceranaea disease in bees using pastes of L. spica and V. paradoxa extracts and to investigate their effects on bee colony members (number of bees, frame weight, honey production, brood area, number of eggs, and pollen area).  The results showed the area of ​​the pollen tubes showed that the first test revealed no significant differences between the treatments, with the mean values ​​for the first, second, and third treatments being 174 and 99, respectively. However, the results of the second test showed no significant advantage for any of the treatments, with the first treatment having a mean of 441 and the second treatment having a mean of 286. The first treatment showed a significant decrease, with a mean value of 102.33, significantly lower than the other treatments. First test showed that the mean value for the first treatment was 941.66, the second treatment 360, and the third treatment 126.66. Significant differences were observed, with the third treatment outperforming the first and second treatments. In the second test, the results showed that the third treatment outperformed the first and second treatments, with no significant differences. The results for the first test regarding egg area were clear, with the average values ​​being (141.66) for the first treatment, (128.33) for the second treatment, and (188.33) for the third treatment. The third treatment was observed to be superior to the first and second treatments. In the second test, the third treatment also outperformed the first, while the average value for the second treatment decreased to (178.33), the third treatment to (699), and the first treatment to (336.66). Third  treatment outperformed the first treatment with an average of (4500), the second treatment to (7816.66), and the third treatment to (14133.33) in the first test. However, the results of the second test showed a clear difference, with a significant difference. The third treatment recorded the highest average (17567.66), followed by the first treatment with an average of (6016.66), and the second treatment with an average of (5883.33).