A scientific note on “Rapid brood decapping” – a method for assessment of honey bee ( Apis mellifera ) brood infestation with Tropilaelaps mercedesae

Tropilaelaps mercedesae is a parasitic mite species that negatively affects the health of the Apis mellifera colonies. Recent reports show that it is spreading westwards, through Central Asia into Europe. Several field and laboratory methods have been proposed to detect Tropilaelaps spp. in A. mellifera colonies; however, most of them are either laborious, costly or ineffective. Here we introduce a novel method for detecting T. mercedesae based on the mite’s characteristic biology (reduced feeding as bee pupae mature, brief dispersal phase on adult bees and agility) and the use of wax strips. Sealed worker brood cells at the development stage of white to purple-eyed pupae are swiftly decapped with wax strips to observe and count surfacing adult mites. Our study shows over 90 % detection efficacy and brood survival, and ease of application. Therefore, we recommend the novel “Rapid brood decapping” method as a reliable tool for detecting and monitoring T. mercedesae infestation.