Research Article

An eco-friendly mixture of thymol, camphor and menthol is used to enhance hygienic behavior in the colonies of Apis mellifera L.

Amber Rana¹, Ayushi Bajpai², Barish E. James¹*and Wajid Hasan³

^1&2 Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007. U.P., India

^1* Department of Zoology, Isabella Thoburn College, Lucknow 226007, U.P., India

³Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Jehanabad-804432, BAU Sabour, Bihar, India

*Corresponding author e-mail: barishjames@gmail.com, amberhajra63@gmail.com

(Received: 15/09/2025; Revised: 30/11/2025; Accepted: 30/11/2025; Published: 30/12/2025)

ABSTRACT

Large-scale pesticide usage is contributing to a decrease in A.  mellifera colonies due to colony collapse disorder. The accumulation of pesticides in bees has led to an absence of “hygienic behavior,” which is a defensive mechanism whereby honey bees uncap and clean cells. This hygienic behavior encompasses the activities of removing infected larvae, pupae, and adult bees from the hive, as well as external parasites such as mites or flies. This marks my inaugural utilization of a combination of thymol, camphor, and menthol crystals to augment hygienic behavior in A. mellifera colonies via the pin-killed (needle-killed) technique. In this procedure, I have amalgamated equal quantities of thymol, camphor, and mint crystals, which, after 24 hours, transform into a liquid solution. Five milliliters of this solution are administered by submerging cotton and situating it in the corner of the hives. The number of open and cleared brood cells is tallied after 3, 6, 9 and 24 hours. The dynamics of observation varied between open and cleared cells a significant increase in the cell cleaning rate was observed at 5% level of significance (p < 0.05). It is noteworthy that no dead bees were reported around the cotton ball, indicating that the mixture is not harmful to bee health, unlike other synthetic medicines. Furthermore, this eco-friendly and highly effective method could prove to be a convenient option for beekeepers.

Keywords: Apis mellifera, thymol mixture, hygienic behavior, pin-killed, Uttar Pradesh