BUGS In Your Beehive
Bees seem to be coming under attack from everywhere these days many of them new. There are many new viruses and bugs attacking bees that were previously either rare or unheard of. Probably the best known of these "attackers" is the Varroa Mite.
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Varroa mites (left)are bee parasites which if left unchecked, can wipe out a colony of bees in a single season. The Varroa Mite has also been implicated in transmitting a range of viruses associated with the mystery disorder, Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and deformed wing virus. But there is no definite information about this and the research continues.
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The bee on the right is infected with varroa. They can be seen quite clearly on its back. They sit there held on by the hooks in their eight legs and are difficult for the bees to shift. The bite through the skin of the bees and suck their blood. Quite unpleasant for the bee, considering their relative sizes. Point at the image to see what happens next. The bee is fighting back, but it is difficult to reach the Varroa Mite as well as time-consuming. If you look closely, you will see the bees leg reaching up behind the mite. It then moves its leg forward to scrape the mite off. It takes many attempts before it finally is free. Not all bees can do this.
It is highly reccommended that you vary the chemicals and techniques used to eradicate all bugs including Varroa in order to avoid them becoming immune to any one system or chemical. There are already reports of pyrethroid-resistant varroa in Britain. But, always follow the instructions on the container.
For more information there is an excellant section here about the Varoah Mite.
Varroa Mite Monitoring System
Mite Away II Demonstration Video (One way of dealing with the Varroa Mite)
Sustainable Living Quote:
Economics and a reliance on science and technology to solve our problems has led to an unsustainable situation where continued growth in consumption is required for governments and business to be considered successful. This is a form of insanity. Economics is at the heart of our destructive ways and our faith in it has blinded us
- Dr David Suzuki, Canadian scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster (2002)