identification and management of bee enemies
TRANSCRIPT
Identification & Management of
Insect & Bird Enemies & Mite
Pests of Honey BeesA.Murugan
Bsc .Agriculture
2014004055
Insect Enemies
Wax moth
Greater wax moth
Lesser wax moth
Others
Ants ,wasps & hornets
HONEY BEE MITES
Varroa Mite
Topilaelaps Mite
Tracheal Mite
Bird Enemies
Blue-bearded
Blue tailed
SpangedDrongo
Red –blacked shrike
Chestnut headed
Blue-cheeked
Green bee eater
Ashy Drongo
Brown shrike
Greater wax moth
(Galleria mellonella)
Major pest of Apis cerana
Occurrence severe during July to October and November to December.
Empty combs , rendered wax , comb foundation and bee collected pollen, if
not properly stored and left unattended, almost always suffer considerable
damage from wax moth infestation
When weak colonies are infected – gallerias is observed
(i) Egg. (ii) Larva (iii) Cocoon (IV) Pupa (V) Adult on Comb.
Management
Frequent examination of the hive
Cleaning all the crevices and removing all the debris
The excess combs in the hive not covered by the bees are removed and stored after the fumigation with methyl bromide
In the stored rooms the spare combs should be stored in tightly closed containers .
Store the empty combs at low temperature (0-10°C) either permanently or for 5 hours. All the stages of wax moth are destroyed at low temperature.
Lesser wax moth
(Achroia grisella)
Seen in high altitudes
Caterpillar feeds on the debris of the comb
The larvae of the another wax moth Achroia lankella occur both inside the combs and
on the floor boards of working colonies
These wax moth decap the sealed cells exposing the pupae inside s=and this diseased
condition called Bald brood
(i) Egg. (ii) Larva (iii) Adult (iv) Adult on Comb
Management
Remove the infested comb and destroy either by burning or digging inside the soil
Unite the weaker colonies
Clean the bottom board at fortnight interval
Adequate food supply to maintain a strong colony (sugar feeding)
Always maintain healthy comb
While staking the super chamber place 1/3rd Tablet of Aluminium phosphide for every cubic ft
Ants
Black ant – Camponotus compressus
Red ant – Dorylus labiatus
Provide ant pans around the base of the stand or oil bands around the stands
Underground ant nests are eliminated by pouring cypermethrin 0.1% emulsion into
them.
Wasp and hornets
It waits near the hive entrance and catches the bees as they come out, macerates them
for feeding the juice to its young
Captures the bees in the field also
A wasp can collect 20 bees a day
Management :
By reducing the width of the alighting board of the hive, the wasps can be prevented
from sitting near the entrance.
(i)Vespa orientalis (ii)Nest of Vespa orientalis (iii) Vespa tropica (ii)Nest of Vespa tropica
Varroa mite
(varroa jacobsoni)
It infects A.mellifera
It is a tracheal mite which sucks the haemolymph from the trachea of the bees causing
reduction in oxygen supply leading to weak bees and death.
The mites found in the sealed brood cells of honey bees where they feed on the
haemolymph of bee pupae
Also feeds externally on the immature stages of workers and drones.
Fig: Varroa mite showing Nymph stages and male
Transfer between colonies is possible due to contact between bees within the hive ,
attachment to the bee in flight, transport of hives , bees being moved between colonies,
swarming etc.,
Management :
keeping the apiary clean
Use of approved products such as Apistan or Apigaurd
Citric oil contain D-limonene appears to be potential one to control the mites
Lactic acid treatment
Lactic acid is clearly better tolerated by bees and does not cause problems in
warmer climatic zones.
The disadvantage is that every single combo must be extracted to spray the
bees with the acid
The dosage applied per comb side is 8 ml of 15 % acid. This treatment can be
repeated two times at intervals of seven days
Tropilaelaps mite
Similar to varroa and the injuries inflicted on bee brood are same.
The abdomen of bees surviving mite attacks is reduced in size and have a shorter life
span than healthy bees
In heavily infested colonies , bees with deformed wings can be observed crawling about
the vicinity of the hive entrance .
Management :
Formic acid is effective.(A solution of 50 ml of 60% formic acid is applied on to the
sponge tissue per comb)
The formic acid should be applied into the colony only in the late afternoon to avoid
damage to bees and brood.
Tracheal mite (A.woodi )
Very small mite (0.1mm) that lives and breeds within the thoracic tracheae of adult bees
The mite penetrates through the spiracles into the first tracheal pair of the thorax of 10
day old honey bees
Typical visible symptom is crawling of bees around the hive and K type wing condition
Management :
Formic acid produces good results by applying by the method as described in varroa
control
Microscopic picture of tracheal mites
Bird enemies
Once airborne the bees are virtually defenseless against birds, several species
can tolerate their venomous stings.
An attack by a single bird or by a few together rarely constitutes a serious
problem , but when a large flock descends upon a few colonies or apiary, a
substantial decline in the worker population in some or all the hives may be
observed.
Different species of birds
Blue bearded
Blue cheeked
Green bee eater
Blue tailed
Chestnut headed
Ashy drongo
Brown shike
Different species of birds
Lesser yellow nape
Greater yellow nape
Streak throated
Yellow rumped
Common swift
Spangled drongo
Red blacked shrike
-+
--
Green bee eaterBlue cheeked
Chestnut headed Ashy drongo
Brown shrike
Lesser yellow napeStreak throated
Common swift
Blue beardedBlue tailed
Spangled drongoRed blacked shrike
Greater yellow nape
Yellow rumped
Management
By using red reflective ribbons around the apiary
Management should also taken to chose the apiary site away from the bird
perching object such as telephone wires, electric poles and other wires,
buildings, trees etc.,
Reference
ELEMENTS OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY (8th edition ) - B.Vasantharaj David &
V.V.Ramamurthy (p.no : 39-43)
https: //www.slide share.net
https: //agropedia/bee enemies.com