Comments on: Cacoxenus indagator flies & bee mites: the main parasites of solitary bees http://solitarybee.com/blog/2010/02/parasites-of-solitary-bees/ Mason Bees, solitary bees and other native bees Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:40:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Paul B http://solitarybee.com/blog/2010/02/parasites-of-solitary-bees/comment-page-1/#comment-1045 Paul B Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:40:06 +0000 http://solitarybee.com/blog/?p=224#comment-1045 Hi Angela, If you look at the second picture above and the second bee chamber marked 'B', you will see the swirls of the <em>Cacoxenus indagator</em> fly larva's poop. It can be quite distinctive, with a seemingly brighter yellow or orange colour as opposed to a chamber infested with mites which can be quite dull. Here's another <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150339983199773&set=a.434118169772.222200.124034169772" rel="nofollow">picture </a>that I took last year showing an elongated trail of their stuff. I use a watercolour size paintbrush to sweep them out of the chambers without damaging the cocoons. However the trick in catching <strong>all </strong>the larvae is realising two things: <ol> <li>that they are very sticky</li> <li> and that the thin inner walls separating the bee chambers are sometimes curved. </li> </ol> This means that there's always a risk that one <em>C. indagator</em> fly larvae may get tucked out of sight when there's a curved cell partition wall, or if walls break or crack when you open and inspect the tunnel. So I make a point of deliberately taking the cocoon out of an infested chamber and cleaning away the whole chamber (including adjoining walls) rather than assuming I have got all of them. As these fly larvae are numerous and eat quicker than the bee larvae, these infested chambers also result in smaller cocoons. When I find an infested mite chamber, I do the opposite. I get all the other cocoons out before I dispose of the infected tunnel, as mites at this stage are too small and translucent to be fully identified and accounted for. Hope that helps. Hi Angela,
If you look at the second picture above and the second bee chamber marked ‘B’, you will see the swirls of the Cacoxenus indagator fly larva’s poop. It can be quite distinctive, with a seemingly brighter yellow or orange colour as opposed to a chamber infested with mites which can be quite dull. Here’s another picture that I took last year showing an elongated trail of their stuff.

I use a watercolour size paintbrush to sweep them out of the chambers without damaging the cocoons. However the trick in catching all the larvae is realising two things:

  1. that they are very sticky
  2. and that the thin inner walls separating the bee chambers are sometimes curved.

This means that there’s always a risk that one C. indagator fly larvae may get tucked out of sight when there’s a curved cell partition wall, or if walls break or crack when you open and inspect the tunnel. So I make a point of deliberately taking the cocoon out of an infested chamber and cleaning away the whole chamber (including adjoining walls) rather than assuming I have got all of them. As these fly larvae are numerous and eat quicker than the bee larvae, these infested chambers also result in smaller cocoons.

When I find an infested mite chamber, I do the opposite. I get all the other cocoons out before I dispose of the infected tunnel, as mites at this stage are too small and translucent to be fully identified and accounted for.

Hope that helps.

]]> By: Paul Bee http://solitarybee.com/blog/2010/02/parasites-of-solitary-bees/comment-page-1/#comment-1044 Paul Bee Sat, 28 Apr 2012 19:43:54 +0000 http://solitarybee.com/blog/?p=224#comment-1044 Hi Jess. If your bees were nesting wild nearby before you offered tunnels, then this ecology (the parasites and predators) will continue to find your tunnels. However perhaps there is a hidden positive side to this. As the flies are attracted to crowds or <em>bee aggregations</em> (as the entomologists call them), the wild flies may eventually only focus on your tunnels where the bees are happy and where most of the nesting action is - these one road towns where you're the sheriff very able to hunt the mangy scoundrels down. Thus you'll get the upper-hand when you subsequently disinfect the tunnels in the fall. Within a couple of years, like me, you could get to the point where you rarely see the flies. I have only seen four flies this year in 6 weeks. This suggests that the flies are getting sucked in by all the activity and the disinfection process is working; two years ago I was squishing more than four <em>a day</em>. I concur with your view of the weather - we have had a crazy winter and spring. It seems that the UK weather (and 36 hours later France), often seem to be ripples of what you've had on the U.S. East coast. Anyway I hope your season picks up. If the bees have been around 200 million years I think they'll survive a few chilly days staring out at the grey skies. Hi Jess.
If your bees were nesting wild nearby before you offered tunnels, then this ecology (the parasites and predators) will continue to find your tunnels. However perhaps there is a hidden positive side to this. As the flies are attracted to crowds or bee aggregations (as the entomologists call them), the wild flies may eventually only focus on your tunnels where the bees are happy and where most of the nesting action is – these one road towns where you’re the sheriff very able to hunt the mangy scoundrels down.

Thus you’ll get the upper-hand when you subsequently disinfect the tunnels in the fall. Within a couple of years, like me, you could get to the point where you rarely see the flies. I have only seen four flies this year in 6 weeks. This suggests that the flies are getting sucked in by all the activity and the disinfection process is working; two years ago I was squishing more than four a day.

I concur with your view of the weather – we have had a crazy winter and spring. It seems that the UK weather (and 36 hours later France), often seem to be ripples of what you’ve had on the U.S. East coast. Anyway I hope your season picks up. If the bees have been around 200 million years I think they’ll survive a few chilly days staring out at the grey skies.

]]> By: Paul Bee http://solitarybee.com/blog/2010/02/parasites-of-solitary-bees/comment-page-1/#comment-1043 Paul Bee Sat, 28 Apr 2012 19:21:34 +0000 http://solitarybee.com/blog/?p=224#comment-1043 Hello George, Sorry for my slow reply. I look forward to hearing your news, especially as it sounds like you have some experience that I could learn from. Would be nice to hear about some of that. You are very generous about my project - that's a great compliment coming from someone who has a great site and makes a solid contribution to the environment; unfortunately though, my day job has nothing to do with bees or nature, and I have been distracted for the last couple of years. My blogging has been slowing down. However, on the upside the Facebook fan page (about to hit 800 fans by end of June 2012) and the micro-blogging on Twitter as well as my videos have kept me getting the message out. I hope when you have the news you will find a way of sharing it with us. Hello George,

Sorry for my slow reply. I look forward to hearing your news, especially as it sounds like you have some experience that I could learn from. Would be nice to hear about some of that.

You are very generous about my project – that’s a great compliment coming from someone who has a great site and makes a solid contribution to the environment; unfortunately though, my day job has nothing to do with bees or nature, and I have been distracted for the last couple of years. My blogging has been slowing down. However, on the upside the Facebook fan page (about to hit 800 fans by end of June 2012) and the micro-blogging on Twitter as well as my videos have kept me getting the message out.

I hope when you have the news you will find a way of sharing it with us.

]]> By: Jess http://solitarybee.com/blog/2010/02/parasites-of-solitary-bees/comment-page-1/#comment-1042 Jess Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:38:47 +0000 http://solitarybee.com/blog/?p=224#comment-1042 When I removed the bee cocoons from last year's bamboo tubes, I only found two or three cells with fly larvae in them. Thank goodness...not too bad. That was my first year. It'll be interesting to see how things go this year, now that I'm more vigilant. If I see those !!@@## critters, I'll have no hesitation giving them the squoosh. Leave my bees alone! Dang it. LOL Three of this year's bamboo canes are capped already. The kids are busy. We had a very warm winter and early spring, here, in New York City. The past week or so, the weather has dipped back to chilly temps...upper 30's/low 40'sF. Many complaints upstate from fruit orchards about damage to orchard flowers. I hope the bees and other pollinators are OK with the low temperatures. We've had an extremely crazy winter and spring. Good luck to all. Have a wonderful season! Looking forward to staying in touch. I love this group! :-D Jess When I removed the bee cocoons from last year’s bamboo tubes, I only found two or three cells with fly larvae in them. Thank goodness…not too bad. That was my first year. It’ll be interesting to see how things go this year, now that I’m more vigilant. If I see those !!@@## critters, I’ll have no hesitation giving them the squoosh. Leave my bees alone! Dang it. LOL

Three of this year’s bamboo canes are capped already. The kids are busy. We had a very warm winter and early spring, here, in New York City. The past week or so, the weather has dipped back to chilly temps…upper 30′s/low 40′sF. Many complaints upstate from fruit orchards about damage to orchard flowers. I hope the bees and other pollinators are OK with the low temperatures. We’ve had an extremely crazy winter and spring.

Good luck to all. Have a wonderful season! Looking forward to staying in touch. I love this group!

:-D

Jess

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