Once inside, tracheal mites breed and reproduce, filling the bee's lungs with their offspring and inhibiting breathing capacity. If an infected bee doesn't suffocate, its ability to fly long distances to pollinate crops is hindered. Rather than solely relying on chemicals for pest control, IPM integrates other methods such as breeding and special management practices to keep pest populations at bay. Recently, Nasr successfully bred bees that are attractive to the tracheal mites for a shorter span of their life, decreasing the opportunity for mites to infect young bees. Nasr has also studied the effectiveness of formic acid as a means of repelling mites.
Formic acid is a natural product produced by ants, and is also found in honey.
Nasr found formic acid to be 90- to 95 per cent effective against both tracheal and varroa mites, and it leaves no residue in the honey or wax. Part of Nasr's mite control program involves alternating the use of Apistan a chemical currently used to control mite infestations with formic acid. Generally, Apistan is applied to hives twice a year, but by alternating it with formic acid, beekeepers need to apply it only once. But it does reduce the likelihood of beekeepers becoming over-reliant on a pesticide. It's more effective in the long run.