Varroa mites are external parasitic mites that suck on the blood of honey bees. They resemble red spots attached to larval, pupal or adult bees, and they are big enough to be easily spotted. They accumulate in number until the host dies. Its potential for higher risk lies on the spreading of other viruses when they bite. This may cause other diseases.
If not treated right, it may turn to a heavy infestation that may render the end of the colony. Treatments include miticides, natural occurring chemicals, as well as non-chemical methods like comb trapping and bottom screen boarding.
Acarine Mites
Smaller than the varroa mites, these pests make their way inside the bees trachea, thereby earning its other name as Tracheal mites. Drawn by carbon dioxide, they enter the spiracles of a bee and reproduce inside its airways where they propagate and suck blood. Bees with infestations stop working at some point and eventually die.
They are easily controlled by vegetable shortening mixed with sugar. As the bees consume the sugar, they get partly coated with the shortening and this affects the mites instincts from transferring to other bees.
Small Hive Beetle
Aethina tumida is a dark-colored beetle that infests the combs itself. They start their lives outside the hive but later finds their way inside by tunneling through the combs to feed on the honey. This makes the comb unusable, disrupting the life-cycle of the bees.
Late discovery leading to heavy infestation may cause the bees to abscond. It is best to maintain a strong colony by setting the proper environment and population. Oil traps can also be used to suffocate the beetles while avoiding toxic contamination of the hive.
Wax Moths
Wax moths feed on the wax that the bees use in making their combs. Not a general threat to a healthy colony but could still affect the colonies' productivity as they fend of foreign insects. They are almost never a problem during winter as the eggs does not survive the temperature.
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