BCBC would like to thank
Dr. Zachary Huang, Associate Professor of Entomology, Michigan State University for allowing us to republish his honeybee photos and photo descriptions here. Please visit his site at Beetography.com
Special thanks also to
Dr. David Tarpy, Assistant Professor of Entomology at NCSU for allowing us to republish information on bee pests and treatments. You can visit his site here. |
Cause(s):
The parasitic mite, Acarapis woodi
Symptoms:
--- There is no one tell-tale sign of this disease.
--- Disjointed wings or ‘K-wing’, distended abdomen.
--- Bees often crawling on the bottom board appearing "morbid"
Treatment:
--- Verify infestation level whenever tracheal mites are suspected.
--- If the percentage of infested adult workers is 10% or greater, treatment is
warranted. Treat colonies in the late summer or autumn.
Recommended treatments:
--- Mite-a-thol® (menthol crystals)
--- Mite-Away II® (formic acid pads)
--- Apilife VAR® (thymol pads) or Apigaurd® (thymol gel)
 A cross section of the thorax of a worker, showing the main thoracic trachea of each side. Trachea from healthy workers should be white with a silvery reflection. The ones here are infected with tracheal mites (Acarapis woodi) and has become brownish or black due to the scar tissue from mite feeding and the presece of many mites. Photo by Prof. M.V. Smith, University of Guelph.
 Two tracheal mites (Acarapis woodi) inside a worker trachea. Too many mites in there obviously blocks the airway of workers and workers become physically weaker and cannot fly as far and die earlier compared to healthy bees. Photo by Prof. M.V. Smith, University of Guelph.
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