Parasites
ACARAPIS WOODI
- Tracheal Mite
- These mites live and reproduce in the tracheae of the bees, female mites will attach 5-7 eggs to the tracheal walls, where the larvae hatch and develops into adults
- More than one hundred mites can populate the tracheae and will weaken the bees immune system
- Similar mites are the Acarapis externus and Acarapis dorsalis
VARROA DESTRUCTOR
- These mites are known to help cause colony collapse the most. They will either kill the bee outright or weaken the bee's immune system which makes the bee susceptible to infection.
- Varroa mites live by attaching itself to the body of the honeybee and sucks its bodily fluids
- These mites prefer to feed on dispensable drones, but will switch to the grub if the colony is full of these mites.
These mites either kill the bee outright or weaken the bee’s immune system, making it easy for infections to take control. In Britain, the varroa mite was first detected in 1992 and they spread rapidly. Varroa mite parasitism is known to weaken the bees' immune system and facilitate the transmission of viruses to brood and adult bees (2010). High virus levels resulting from high populations of varroa mites are not always immediately suppressed by effective mite control. In North America, the varroa mites are known to transmit viral diseases that wipe out the colony.
Possible Solutions to Parasites
Exposure to natural oils and a variety of plants help bees combat mites and infections spread from the mites.
Pyrethrums are a group of flowering plants which include Chrysanthemum coccineum, Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium, Chrysanthemum marschalli, and related species. These plants produce naturally occurring potent insecticides with anti-mite activity. In fact, the human mite infestation known as scabies (Sarcoptes scabiei) are treated with a topical pyrethrum cream (Sharpe, 2009). The toxins from these flowers act as nature’s insecticide and, in small doses, are helpful to the bees without actually hurting them. Although it may seem relatively small or insignificant, the lack of one small amount of a vitamin could prove to be very necessary and lifesaving. The bee’s exposure to this one small flower could be a key to improving the health of the honey bee colonies. With commercially controlled bee colonies, the natural diet of the bee has been changed and transformed into a controlled diet. This could be a cause of the decline in health and survival of bees because lack of toxin would lead to more mite infestations (Sharpe, 2009).
- Mitricides and natural oils, like mint and lemon
- Pyrethrums
Pyrethrums are a group of flowering plants which include Chrysanthemum coccineum, Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium, Chrysanthemum marschalli, and related species. These plants produce naturally occurring potent insecticides with anti-mite activity. In fact, the human mite infestation known as scabies (Sarcoptes scabiei) are treated with a topical pyrethrum cream (Sharpe, 2009). The toxins from these flowers act as nature’s insecticide and, in small doses, are helpful to the bees without actually hurting them. Although it may seem relatively small or insignificant, the lack of one small amount of a vitamin could prove to be very necessary and lifesaving. The bee’s exposure to this one small flower could be a key to improving the health of the honey bee colonies. With commercially controlled bee colonies, the natural diet of the bee has been changed and transformed into a controlled diet. This could be a cause of the decline in health and survival of bees because lack of toxin would lead to more mite infestations (Sharpe, 2009).