Studies of the honey bee tracheal mite (Acarapis woodi) (Acari: Tarsonemidae) during winter

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (10) ◽  
pp. 2122-2127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gard W. Otis ◽  
Judy B. Bath ◽  
Deborah L. Randall ◽  
Gordon M. Grant
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Winter Period ◽  
Acarapis Woodi ◽  
Tracheal Mite ◽  
Mite Reproduction ◽  
Tracheal Mites ◽  
Mite Infestations ◽  
Mite Prevalence

Changes in the populations of tracheal mites (Acarapis woodi) in individual honey bees were quantified in New York during winter. Mite prevalence increased greatly from November to February, then declined again in late spring. The simultaneous increases in prevalence values and in slight infestations restricted to the outer portions of the tracheae strongly suggest that many older bees were becoming infested with mites during the winter period when no brood was being reared. Trends in mite infestations varied greatly in different colonies for reasons that are not clear. Although mite reproduction was generally low (< 2.5 immatures per female), it appeared to be higher in October than during the rest of the winter. The sex ratio (3.04) was biased in favour of females. These patterns are different in some respects from those described for the same organism in Europe, emphasizing the need to carefully evaluate the biology of tracheal mites in North America and their interactions with their bee hosts before predicting their economic impact.

Field evaluation of nine families of honey bees for resistance to tracheal mites

2001 ◽  
Vol 133 (6) ◽  
pp. 793-803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis van Engelsdorp ◽  
Gard W. Otis
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Formic Acid ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Field Evaluation ◽  
Acarapis Woodi ◽  
Tracheal Mite ◽  
Colony Performance ◽  
Tracheal Mites ◽  
Mite Infestations

AbstractWe evaluated the resistance to tracheal mites, Acarapis woodi (Rennie) (Acari: Tarsonemidae), of colonies of honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), headed by daughters of three queens from each of three honey bee stocks: (i) British Columbia "mite-resistant stock, (ii) Buckfast "mite-resistant" stock, and (iii) Canadian unselected stock. Colonies of all nine families were distributed among four apiaries; half of the colonies in each apiary were treated with formic acid to attempt to control tracheal mites. The study documented significant differences in resistance to tracheal mites among the families of bees, even within each of the three stocks. After the first 4 months of study (by November 1993), differences in mite infestations had developed among the nine families. Formic acid treatments had either short-lived effectiveness (1993) or no effect (1994) on tracheal mite infestations, thereby eliminating the opportunity to evaluate colony performance in the absence of mites. Mite infestations varied significantly among apiary sites. This study highlights the value of evaluating sets of colonies headed by sister queens when identifying mite-resistant stock for breeding purposes.

TRACHEAL MITE ACARAPIS WOODI (RENNIE) (ACARI: TARSONEMIDAE) INFESTATIONS IN THE HONEY BEE, APIS MELLIFERA L. (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE) IN TAMAULIPAS, MEXICO

1989 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. G. Lozano ◽  
J. O. Moffett ◽  
B. Campos P. ◽  
M. Guillen M. ◽  
O. N. Perez E. ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
The State ◽  
Late Spring ◽  
Acarapis Woodi ◽  
Tracheal Mite ◽  
Tracheal Mites ◽  
Northeastern Mexico

In a 1986 survey taken in northeastern Mexico, 44% of the 6,200 honey bees, Apis mellifera L., examined were infested with tracheal mites, Acarapis woodi (Rennie). Mites were found in 80% of the 310 colony samples of 20 bees each. These samples were taken monthly from 10 colonies in each of three apiaries located from 130 to 230 km apart in the state of Tamaulipas. Infestation levels varied greatly among apiaries, months, and between samples. Monthly infestations in individual bees ranged from a low of 2% in the Hidalgo apiary in August to a high of 97% in February in the Aldama apiary. The average infestation was 11% of the bees in the Hidalgo apiary, 35% in the Ciudad Mante apiary, and 71% in the Aldama apiary. Mite populations tended to decline in late spring and summer. There was a significant correlation (r = 0.91, p &lt; 0.01) between the percentage of bees infested in the apiary and the number of mites in each infested bee. The number of mites per infested bee ranged from an average of 14 for infested bees from the four monthly apiary samples with the lowest percentage of infested bees to 44 mites/infested bee in the four samples with the highest percent of infested bees. The average number of mites per infested bee was 34.2. The proportion of mites in each life stage varied markedly. Overall, 19% of the 92,392 mites were in the egg stage, 37% were larvae, and 44% were adults. The ratio of males to females was 1:2.43 or 29% males to 71% females. Both right and left tracheae were equally susceptable to becoming infested, as mites were found in 2,144 right and 2,138 left trachea. Both tracheae were infested in 58% of the bees parasitized with mites. There was also a highly significant correlation (r = 0.98, P &lt; 0.01) between percentage of bees infested in each sample and percentage of infested bees with mites present in both tracheae.

scholarly journals Pest status and incidence of the honey bee tracheal mite in Finland

1998 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 469-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. KORPELA
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Acarapis Woodi ◽  
Tracheal Mite ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Tracheal Mites ◽  
Mite Infestations ◽  
Bee Colonies ◽  
Winter Losses

Colonies of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) were surveyed for the presence of the honey bee tracheal mite (Acarapis woodi Rennie) in Finland between 1991 and 1997. Colony background information and winter loss data were obtained from beekeepers who had taken tracheal mite infested samples. A total of 2116 samples from honey bee colonies of 402 beekeepers were investigated. Infestations were found in 8% of the beekeeping operations and in 10% of the samples inspected. In the last years of the survey more than 20% of apiaries were infested. This increase may be partly explained by tracheal mite infestations found in commercial queen-rearing apiaries. A field experiment with colonies infested at different levels showed that colonies in which 20% or more of bees are infested with tracheal mites have an increased risk of dying during the winter under Finnish conditions. This infestation level was found among colonies in 92% of the infested apiaries. Comparison of the tracheal mite prevalence in apiaries with their winter losses indicated that infestations were associated with colony mortality. The results of this survey point to the high pest potential of the tracheal mite in Finland, in contrast to findings on tracheal mites from elsewhere in Europe. Therefore, strategies to prevent further spread of the mite are highly recommended and methods for effective control should be sought.;

Reduction of tracheal mite parasitism of honey bees by swarming

1991 ◽  
Vol 331 (1260) ◽  
pp. 123-129 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Acarapis Woodi ◽  
Brood Rearing ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Tracheal Mite ◽  
Mite Density ◽  
Theoretical Considerations

Based on population dynamics, tracheal mite ( Acarapis woodi ) parasitism of colonies of honey bees ( Apis mellifera ) appears to be, potentially at least, regulatory and stable. Empirical and theoretical considerations suggest, however, that intracolony population dynamics of mite-honey bee worker seem to be unstable in managed situations where honey bee worker population is allowed to grow unchecked. Experimental studies showed that tracheal mite population levels increased in a managed honey bee colony but were impaired in one in which brood rearing was interrupted by loss of the queen. Mite densities but not prevalence were lowered in experimental swarms kept from rearing brood. We propose that swarming reduces mite density within a colony, therefore implicating modern techniques of hive management in the sudden historical appearance of the mite on the Isle of Wight.

scholarly journals Honey Bee Tracheal Mite, Acarapis woodi (Rennie) (Arachnida: Acarina: Tarsonemidae)

EDIS ◽  
1969 ◽  
Vol 2004 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harold A. Denmark ◽  
Harvey L. Cromroy ◽  
Malcolm T. Stanford
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cooperative Extension Service ◽  
Acarapis Woodi ◽  
University Of Florida ◽  
Disease Symptoms ◽  
Isle Of Wight ◽  
Adverse Conditions ◽  
Tracheal Mite ◽  
Mite Infestations

In October 1984, the honey bee tracheal mite, Acarapis woodi (Rennie), was found in Florida. Although it was first described by Rennie in 1921, the mite was not found in the United States until 1984. Rennie described the mite from bees on the Isle of Wight and associated it with the "Isle of Wight" disease. Symptoms of this infestation were described as "bees crawling about unable to fly, and with wings disjointed; dwindling and mortality of colonies have been said to occur rapidly with colonies dying within a month." It was later shown that the tracheal mite was not the cause of the "Isle of Wight" disease (Bailey 1964), and later reports (Bailey 1968, Morse 1978) indicate that A. woodi is not as serious a pest of honey bees as previously thought. In combination with other adverse conditions, however, heavy mite infestations may cause a reduction in bee activity. This document is EENY-172 (originally published as DPI Entomology Circular 267), one of the Featured Creatures series of the Entomology and Nematology Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Published: November 2000. EENY-172/IN329: Honey Bee Tracheal Mite, Acarapis woodi (Rennie) (Arachnida: Acari: Tarsonemidae) (ufl.edu)

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document