Effect of Plant Extract Preparations on Microbial Number and Species Composition of the Honey Bee Intestinal Microbiocenosis Throughout the Overwintering Period

Varis Tuktarov, Rashit Farkhutdinov, Fitrat Yumaguzhin, Farit Valitov, Dmitri Schelechov
2021 Advances in Animal and Veterinary Sciences  
The paper describes the results of applying feed products containing plant extracts. The trade names of the feed products are 'Fitoask' and 'Fitovar'. Fitovar is derived from the extracts from the thallus of Lichen islandicus, the leaf of Betulla pendula, Eucalupti viminalis, the acerose leaf of Picea abies or Ábies sibírica, the bark of Pópulus trémula, Allium sativum, Chelidónium május, Artemísia vulgáris, Thýmus serpýllum, Melissa officinalis extracts. The 'Fitoask' feed base contains the
more » ... racts from the leaf of Betulla pendula, Eucalupti viminalis, the acerose leaf of Picea abies или Ábies sibírica, and Filipendula ulmariae, Veronica longifolia, Equiseti Arvensis, Melissa officinalis, Thýmus serpýllum, Chelidónium május extracts, Helichrýsum arenárium flower extract, Pópulus trémula bark extract. The study focused on dark forest bee colonies (Apis millifera millifera L.). The research found that the intestinal microbiocenosis of honey bees in the experimental apiaries differed in qualitative and quantitative composition. It consisted mainly of staphylococci, yeast, mould fungi and enterobacteria. Thus, the study showed that the plant extract preparations reduced the incidence of ascospherosis in honey bees and lowered food consumption over the winter. Plant extract supplements can be more effective than chemicals in the preventive and health-improving treatment of honey bees in protected areas.
doi:10.17582/journal.aavs/2022/10.1.203.211 fatcat:yoonyh5zcbc7jcbufa4in62fyq