# A quick V. Mite pic



## Kamon A. Reynolds (Apr 15, 2012)

Wow nice photos! Those buggers have changed a lot in beekeeping that's for sure.


----------



## Laurence Hope (Aug 24, 2005)

I don't normally call any wild thing "Ugly", but this critter along with wax worms and hive beetles all qualify.
Nice pictures. Thanks.


----------



## sinkerone (Feb 14, 2012)

:applause::applause:You figure out how to take a realy nice pitcher ;;;;;;;now figure out how to get rid of those ugly mites;;;;;;;;


----------



## CLICKBANGBANG (Feb 3, 2013)

sinkerone said:


> :applause::applause:You figure out how to take a realy nice pitcher ;;;;;;;now figure out how to get rid of those ugly mites;;;;;;;;


Hey thanks! The pic was taken through a field scope with a 5x eye and 10x lens. Camera was a iPhone. Lol

It took 48 hours for that one mite to drop onto a sticky board in this particular hive (natural drop, no treatment). I'll keep monitoring mite levels, but I may not even get the opportunity to treat the hive this mite came from.


----------



## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Great pic..........thanks for posting.......


----------



## BernhardHeuvel (Mar 13, 2013)

Varroa destructor from below:




















This is one of the about hundred species of mites in the hive - don't know yet, what species this one is. Maybe a mite living from wax or pollen debris. Or a predator mite hunting for other mites. The size is like this dot here: "."









Another very small creature. Looks like a larvae, but it is small as that: "--".









Another close look at Varroa destructor.









Pretty difficult to take a picture from this one. The mite runned faster than I could follow with the microscope.



















Bee egg! The queen dropped one onto the floor.


----------



## BernhardHeuvel (Mar 13, 2013)

Pollen









closer...









closer...









single pollen grains









This is one of the mites living in the debris of the bee hive floor.









Detail of head.









Detail fingertip.









That are the two front arms - with crab like tools.









Now you get scared.









Another mite I caught - wasn't easy, because they are fast. 









Detail head.









There is some sort of "blossom" at the tips of the two long forearms. 









And a lot of sensing hairs.









The two short forearms/antennae, with sensing hairs, too. 









Bernhard


----------



## JStinson (Mar 30, 2013)

These are incredible!


----------



## BayHighlandBees (Feb 13, 2012)

was that a tiny mite on the bee egg?


----------



## BernhardHeuvel (Mar 13, 2013)

I think it was a tiny flake of wax/debris.


----------



## CLICKBANGBANG (Feb 3, 2013)

After not finding any V. mites in sugar shakes of two my hives, and only one on a sticky board in 48 hours, I decided to get into some capped drone bur comb to try and find a few more. I cut the comb off, and took it inside to pull the comb open and look for mites. I only opened up capped drone cells that were still sealed, undamaged, and not crushed. I had dissected over 40 cells and had found nothing. I was thinking, "Where are these mites everyone talks about?" Opening the caps with a tooth pick, removing the pupa or larva, and inspecting the bee and cell bottom.

Finally after 50 cells, found this one. 










Then I found these. Total I found 2 adult mites in 71 capped drone brood.


----------



## Lburou (May 13, 2012)

Those smaller, white mites in the last pics of post #12 are likely male varroa. The female is larger and turns colors when mature. 

Great pictures, interesting too!


----------



## CLICKBANGBANG (Feb 3, 2013)

Yep! I was hoping to find a fully matured adult male. This guy was pretty close.


----------

