Thymol

thymolbehandlung_20170128

In the 1990s, the Bee Research Centre took part in a screening programme testing the potential effectiveness of over 100 essential oils and essential oil components against the varroa mite. Although sage, hyssop and thyme oils proved interesting, only thymol has been used in acaricide products. Thymol treatments require little effort, and there are a variety of preparations on the market. The advantages and drawbacks of thymol use are listed in the articles "Apilife VAR: A new varroacide with thymol as the main ingredient" and "THYMOVAR for Varroa control".

Use of essential oils for the control of Varroa jacobsoni (Oud.) in honey bee colonies (PDF, 1 MB, 20.01.2017)
A. Imdorf, S. Bogdanov, R. Ibáñez Ochoa, N. W. Calderone (1999)

Publication List

Publication List

Publications Jochen Mayer

Krause H.M., Mueller R.C., Lori M., Mayer J., Mäder P., Hartmann M.
Organic cropping systems alter metabolic potential and carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycling capacity of soil microbial communities.
Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 203, 2025, Article 109737.

Edlinger A., Herzog C., Garland G., Walder F., Banerjee S., Keel S., Mayer J., Phillipot L., Romdhane S., Schiedung M., Schmidt M. W. I., Seitzt B., Wüst C., van der Heijden M.
Compost application enhances soil health and maintains crop yield: Insights from 56 farmer-managed arable fields.
Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment, 4, (1), 2025, Article e70041.

Bintari A. F., Kost E., Kundel D., Conz R. F., Mäder P., Krause H.-M., Mayer J., Phillipot L., Hartmann M.
Cropping system modulates the effect of spring drought on ammonia-oxidizing communities.
Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 201, 2025, Article 109658.

Kost E., Kundel D., Feola Conz R., Mäder P., Krause H.-M., Six J., Mayer J., Hartmann M.
Soil microbial resistance and resilience to drought under organic and conventional farming.
European Journal of Soil Biology, 123, 2024, Article 103690.

Krause H.-M., Mäder P., Fliessbach A., Jarosch K., Oberson A., Mayer J.
Organic cropping systems balance environmental impacts and agricultural production.
Scientific Reports, 14, 2024, Article 25537.

van den Bergh S. G., Chardon I., Leite M. F. A., Korthals G. W., Mayer J., Cougnon M., Reheul D., De Beur W., Bodelier P. L. E.
Soil aggregate stability governs field greenhouse gas fluxes in agricultural soils.
Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 191, 2024, Article 109354.

Hammelehle A., Mayer J., Lüscher A., Oberson A.
Nitrogen-15 natural abundance is robust to quantify nitrogen transfer from clover to grass in temporary grassland.
Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 192, 2024, Article 109290.

Hofer S., Hirte J., Mayer J., Jarosch K.
Soil-, management-, and climate-related drivers of yield stability in organic and conventional farming systems.
In: EJP Soil Annual Science Days. 10 June, Vilnius (LT). 2024, 1.

Oberson A., Jarosch K., Frossard E., Hammelehle A., Fliessbach A., Mäder P., Mayer J.
Higher than expected: Nitrogen flows, budgets, and use efficiencies over 35 years of organic and conventional cropping.
Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 362, 2024, 1-15.

Diener M., Agostini L., Bünemann E., Mayer J.
Stickstoffeffizienz von optimierten Recyclingdüngern im Biologischen Landbau – Teil 1.
In: 17. Wissenschaftstagung Ökologischer Landbau. 8. März, Publ. FiBL Deutschland e.V., Giessen. 2024, 108-109.

Heller O., Schittli D., Bragazza L., Ghiasi S., Guillaume T., van der Heijden M., Köstel J. K., Mayer J., Wittwer R., Keller T.
Can we manage soil structure for improved resistance against droughts and extreme rainfall events?: Preliminary results from the SoilX Project.
In: BGS Tagung 2024. 21 March, Zollikofen. 2024, 1.

Efosa N., Krause H.-M., Hüppi R., Krauss M., Vaucher N., Zourek F., Mayer J., Six J., Bünemann E. K.
Emissions of nitrous oxide and methane after field application of liquid organic fertilizers and biochar.
Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 356, 2023, 1-11.

Muntwyler A., Panagos P., Morari F., Berti A., Jarosch K., Mayer J., Lugato E.
Modelling phosphorus dynamics in four European long-term experiments.
Agricultural Systems, 206, 2023, 1-13.

Knapp S., Gunst L., Mäder P., Ghiasi S., Mayer J.
Organic cropping systems maintain yields but have lower yield levels and yield stability than conventional systems: Results from the DOK trial in Switzerland.
Field Crops Research, 302, 2023, 1-12.

Schwalb S. A., Li S., Hemkemeyer S., Heinze S., Joergensen. R. G., Mayer J., Mäder P., Wichern F.
Long-term differences in fertilisation type change the bacteria:archaea:fungi ratios and reveal a heterogeneous response of the soil microbial ionome in a Haplic Luvisol.
Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 177, 2023, 1-11.

Rathnayake D., Schmidt H.-P., Leifeld J., Mayer J., Epper C., Bucheli T., Hagemann N.
Biochar from animal manure: A critical assessment on technical feasibility, economic viability, and ecological impact.
Global Change Biology Bioenergy, 15, (9), 2023, 1078-1104.

Nucera E., Huguenin-Elie O., Mayer J., Liebisch F., Spiess E.
Method for estimating nitrogen input by symbiotic fixation on Swiss farms.
Agroscope Science, 164, 2023.

Epper C. A., Ghiasi S., Liebisch F., Mayer J.
Re-evaluating the fertiliser nitrogen use efficiency using Swiss long term experiments.
In: Long Term Experiments: meeting future challenges. 20. June, Publ. Rothamsted research center, Rothamsted. 2023.

Lori M., Hartmann M., Kundel D., Mayer J., Mueller R. C., Mäder P., Krause H.-M.
Soil microbial communities are sensitive to differences in fertilization intensity in organic and conventional farming systems.
FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 99, (6), 2023, 1-13.

Epper C., Liebisch F., Mayer J.
Expert workshop on re-evaluating the potential nitrogen recovery of different manure categories: Workshop summary.
Agroscope Science, 157, 2023.

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Apilife VAR: A new varroacide with thymol as the main ingredient (PDF, 103 kB, 20.01.2017)
A. Imdorf, S. Bogdanov, V. Kilchenmann, C. Maquelin (1994)

"THYMOVAR" for Varroa control (PDF, 75 kB, 27.01.2017)
F. Bollhalder (1998)


Although the use of thymol leads to residues in the wax and honey, these are negligible from a toxicological viewpoint. Since about 2008 the use of thymol-based products has been declining in Switzerland, and beekeepers making use of these products have tended to experience greater winter losses than those using e.g. formic acid.

Thymol residues in wax and honey after Apilife VAR treatment (PDF, 757 kB, 14.09.2016)
S. Bogdanov, A. Imdorf, V. Kilchenmann (1998) 

https://www.agroscope.admin.ch/content/agroscope/en/home/themen/nutztiere/bienen/bienenkrankheiten/varroa/varroa-bekaempfung/thymol.exturl.html/aHR0cHM6Ly9pcmEuYWdyb3Njb3BlLmNoL2VuLVVTL1BhZ2UvUH/VibGlrYXRpb25zbGlzdGUvSW5kZXhNaXRhcmJlaXRlcj9hZ3Jv/c2NvcGVJZD01MTQyJmlzRGF0ZW5QdWJsaWthdGlvbnNsaXN0ZT/1GYWxzZQ==.html