# Deadly parasite turns honeybees into zombie slaves



## nabeehive (Oct 23, 2009)

Here is a new study on the cause of CCD.

http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_19666381

Enjoy,


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

It could be a cause in some places I guess of colony losses, but I doubt it is the Eureka moment. Would be a hard one to fight.


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## mike haney (Feb 9, 2007)

could we have a synopsis for those of us on dial-up? by the way: thanks ,vance for the package. i never forget a favor.


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

great post michaeal. maybe an important piece to the puzzle there. thanks for sharing the link.


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## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

*New CCD Theory ... Parasitic fly*

Looks like we get to add a new name to our every increasing list of bee friends. Varroa, nosema, foulbroud, and now Apocephalus borealis


see


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45862883/ns/technology_and_science-science/#.TwPwFdRWrjs


and 


http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/environment&id=8489491


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

*Parasitic Flys - Anyone know anything about them?*

On Yahoo today: http://news.yahoo.com/zombie-fly-parasite-killing-honeybees-230200867.html


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

*Catch the Buzz - Phorid Fly and CCD*

http://home.ezezine.com/1636/1636-2012.01.04.08.49.archive.html


> CATCH THE BUZZ
> Phorid Fly Found Killing Honey Bees
> Alan Harman
> A new threat to honey bees and perhaps, a partial explanation for colony collapse disorder has been uncovered at Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
> ...


OOPs Monsanto's got a new target.


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## lcl (Jul 28, 2011)

*"Zombie" Fly Parasite Killing Honeybees*

Interesting article about another possible cause for the CCD...

http://news.yahoo.com/zombie-fly-parasite-killing-honeybees-230200867.html

LCL


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

*Re: "Zombie" Fly Parasite Killing Honeybees*

It says I cannot rate closed threads. This article is very very eye-opening! I was going to give it 5 stars


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## Louise I. Lynch (Dec 7, 2011)

*San Francisco State University publication*

Below is the link for the research publication (pdf file) about this parasitic phorid fly. It's out of San Francisco State University- an interesting article worth the read. 

Apocephalus borealis


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## WillH (Jun 25, 2010)

*Deadly fly parasite spotted for first time in honey bees*

I just received this email regarding a fly parasite spotted in honey bees. May be this has been already posted somewhere. Otherwise this may be of interest to beekeepers.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/sfsu-dfp122011.php


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## The Soap Pixie (Mar 15, 2010)

*Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*

Any thoughts on this parasitic fly that they say could explain CCD? If this has already been talked about on here please let me know and I'll do a search, I'd like to read what experienced beekeepers think about this and how new this info is. Sorry if this is a duplicate post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...bee-colonies/2012/01/04/gIQAFG3naP_story.html


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## Corvair68 (May 10, 2011)

*Re: Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*

I would think this to be very bad news for west coast package and nuc suppliers.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

*Re: Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*

"Hafernik stumbled onto the parasitic fly by accident. Three years ago", ok, what have they been doing the last 3 years??? :ws:

While they were sitting on this the worlds honey bees were at risk, when others around the world could have been working it.

Why bring it out now like it's the breaking news? According to their own news story this is old info.
Or are they talking out there stinger and this fly has nothing to do with nothing.


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

*Re: Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*

I don't know much about commercial pollination, but I would not be wanting to haul my bees to California. They've been sitting on it, trying not to cause a panic, for 3 years. Now Monsanto has bought Beelogics? (sp) And all of a sudden the story comes out?


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## JBJ (Jan 27, 2005)

*Re: Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*

I would tend to agree with Dr Mussen's position that this will turn out to only be an incidental pest. The sample size in the original study was something like 31 hives, not a statistically significant sample in my opinion. This definitely warrants further study and surveys for the flies presence. The last thing we need is another challenge in beekeeping. From what I understand this should be an easy on to screen for. Workers can be collected, put into a clean closed container, and then incubated for the appropriate period. I have been told by some who have seen this fly that it is best to collect workers at night in true zombie fashion, and that it is more likely to be in the bees that will be inclined to fly at night towards light and have no interest in returning to the hive.

Most definitely a survey protocol needs to be developed and the bee population at large screened so we can get a handle on the population distribution of this pest.

Please look for it in your bees ASAP!


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## Supertad (Oct 27, 2011)

*Re: Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*

Here's the link to actual study...

http://www.plosone.org/article/info...ology+(PLoS+ONE+Alerts:+Evolutionary+Biology)

Pulled out a couple paragraphs...

Threat

--
If these flies have or can gain the ability to reproduce within hives they could greatly increase their population size and levels of virulence. Moreover, hundreds and sometimes thousands of commercial honey bee colonies are often found in close proximity to one another in agricultural areas. Such high host density might lead to population explosions of the fly and major impacts on the hives they parasitize. Further, A. borealis is already widely distributed across North America

--

Furthermore, the domestic honey bee is potentially A. borealis' ticket to global invasion. Establishment of A. borealis on other continents, where its lineage does not occur, where host bees are particularly naïve, and where further host shifts could take place, could have negative implications for worldwide agriculture and for biodiversity of non-North American wasps and bees.

--


Actions

--
Additional studies of the distribution and frequency of phorid parasitism of honey bees in North America are needed to assess the scope of this phenomenon and to detect if it is expanding to other areas or is already widespread. The easiest way to monitor nocturnal abandonment of hives is to place light traps nearby and then monitor trapped bees for emergence of phorid larvae. We hope that our study and methods will enable professional and amateur beekeepers to collect vital samples of bees that leave the hive at night, in order to determine if these bees are parasitized by phorids.

--


Possible Cause

--
http://web.biosci.utexas.edu/fireant/FAQ.html
--


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## Rick 1456 (Jun 22, 2010)

*Friend sent me this article ona parasitic fly on bees*

Is this old or something new ? New to me but no surprise there. Just thought I'd share for discussion if need be


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## dragonfly (Jun 18, 2002)

*Re: Friend sent me this article ona parasitic fly on bees*

One of my buds from an airgunning forum told me about it too. I googled the subject and found a fairly good article, with some other links of interest:

http://www.earthtimes.org/nature/honey-bee-wipeout-caused-phorid-fly-parasite/1735/


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## dragonfly (Jun 18, 2002)

*Re: Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*

Here's a link to another article, with a couple of links of interest included:
http://www.earthtimes.org/nature/honey-bee-wipeout-caused-phorid-fly-parasite/1735/


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## Scrapfe (Jul 25, 2008)

*Re: Friend sent me this article ona parasitic fly on bees*



Rick 1456 said:


> Is this... something new ? ...


I doubt it is anything new but it likely will take on a life of its own. inch:

The short version is this: 
Parasitic (zombie) flies from Argentina have been routinely released here by he USDA for over 15 years to combat red fire ants. The thinking is that these flies have now jumped prey species. I think these parasitic (de-heading) flies are being positioned to take the fall for CCD and all other bee maladies. Someone on another forum suggested (tongue in cheek) that all 57 state departments of agricultural are now writing grant requests to study this emergent problem. 

No one has mentioned that honey producing heavyweight Argentina (where these flies originated) has not had any reported bee problems caused by these parasitic flies, and that South American honeybees have shared the environment with so the called "zombie" flies for maybe 500 years? 

My advise is to you is this, "Baby, better get your BS boots on!" And call your broker in the morning and tell him to buy you all the tinfoil stock he can.


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## Konrad (Oct 7, 2004)

*Zom-bees:*

Keep an eye on your bees!

http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/20...re-turning-honeybees-into-the-buzzing-undead/


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

mike haney said:


> could we have a synopsis for those of us on dial-up? There is a tiny fly that parasitizes bumblebees and has now been found in bee yards from California to South Dakota. It lays a dozen eggs in a victim. When the larvae are about grown, apparently the bee flies out of the colony even in the dark to die. Then the larvae can get out of the victim, and pupate in the soil or leaf litter. It is a new and sensational finding. I don't know how you would fight this one! Unless the sterile male stunt that wiped out screw worms in Texas. I doubt it is that big a problem, but who knows??? That is my jaded synopsis Mike and yer welcome.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

*Re: Friend sent me this article ona parasitic fly on bees*



Scrapfe said:


> No one has mentioned that honey producing heavyweight Argentina (where these flies originated) has not had any reported bee problems caused by these parasitic flies, and that South American honeybees have shared the environment with so the called "zombie" flies for maybe 500 years?


That could be part of the problem with fooling around with mother nature. It is not the first time a parasite was brought to a different area and then it jumped ship on the targeted host. Maybe honey bees are not the host in Argentina.


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

Ace, I thought you had been "Zombified"over in the other thread and were still trying to get the plane off the ground?:lookout:TED


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

Scrapfe, back in the late 1990's, the USDA released the Phoridae fly into the prairie areas of Alabama. The following winter, Alabama lost half of her remaining commercial colonies. We, the commercial beekeepers could never get the USDA to own up that their fly had jumped species. Mighty coincidental. TED


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Sounds like the USDA doesn't take commercial beekeepers seriously, maybe because their best skill is delivering wise cracks.

You can train a dog to get a plane of the ground the only difficult part is landing, for that you need a monkey.


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## Katharina (May 2, 2011)

The species released for fire ants is not the same. Related yes, but still not the same. 
I find the study alarming, and today I've read from a beekeeper down in Prunedale. He had 9 hives and 4 month later he is down to 1. I call that rapid infestation. The have also been reports from central CA of small fruit flies around their hives with sudden hive losses. The scary part is that one of those flies only needs 2-4 seconds to inject the eggs. 7 days later you have 25 larvae coming out of one bee. That is worse then varroa! All I can say collect dead bees where ever you can find them and store them in small little vails and wait for a week. That is the best way to track it as part of the IPM. Now I want to know what traps would work for those bugs. There has to be something that attacks them. Perhaps something with bee pheromones on a sticky board, covered with mesh small enough to only let those tiny flies in. I'm in southern Oregon and I'm very concerned. Used to live in the Monterey Bay area, and know that is nothing when it comes to distance. They already have it in South Dakota, and they were able to trace it back to pollination trucks with DNA testing.


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## Katharina (May 2, 2011)

The phorid fly used for fire ants is: Pseudacteon tricuspis
The phorid fly attacking bees is: Apocephalus borealis


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## Radford (Jul 13, 2010)

*Any one read this story? bee-zombies*

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/parasite-turns-honey-bees-zombies-212258832.html


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

*Re: Any one read this story? bee-zombies*

Welcome to the party!
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?263183-Fly-parasite
http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...y-parasite-turns-honeybees-into-zombie-slaves
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?263177-Phorid-Fly-Attacking-Bees


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## Myron Denny (Sep 27, 2009)

Last summer we had a severe infestation of grasshoppers, about mid summer the grasshoppers turned black and died. Do you suppose this was caused by one of the phorid fly varieties?


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## briancady413 (Dec 8, 2003)

*Re: Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*

Flower Planter: 
"ok, what have they been doing the last 3 years??? "

Perhaps they have been carefully checking that this is not just a local, incidental problem but a widespread, serious problem worthy of further consideration as a CCD cause.

Myron Denny: "Last summer we had a severe infestation of grasshoppers, about mid summer the grasshoppers turned black and died. Do you suppose this was caused by one of the phorid fly varieties? "

If we could look at some of those grasshoppers, perhaps we could tell.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

*Re: Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*



briancady413 said:


> Flower Planter:
> "ok, what have they been doing the last 3 years??? "
> 
> Perhaps they have been carefully checking that this is not just a local, incidental problem but a widespread, serious problem worthy of further consideration as a CCD cause.


What if this is something serious (either new or pre), and they sat on their stingers and told no one (oh that’s right they did that) and what if it spread and was the cause of CCD (which they hinted it could be) what about the 3 years of lost research that could have been done by the rest of the world. What about the beek that lost everything while they were sitting on their stingers???

And still 3 years later they don't seem to know very much, what exectly do they know about this fly? 

So perhaps they need to go back and sit on their stingers another 3 years.


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

*Re: Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*

Do we know if we can build traps, maybe the old fashioned flytrap behind 1/8 inch screening near hive entrances, bait it with a scent that draws them?


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## Myron Denny (Sep 27, 2009)

*Re: Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*

One of our locals lost a colony recently, I suggested he put some of the dead bees in a jar with a lid on it and put them in a warm place in his house. That was last Thursday, he should be seeing maggots in the next few days if that is the problem. I will post the results good or bad when he reports them.


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

*Re: Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*

on scientificbeekeeping.com, randy oliver gives instructions on how to catch live bees at night, and put them in a vented jar 'til they die, and check them later for the flys.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

My bee club sent this today:


Message from Joe Derisi on Media craziness: phorids and bees
It looks like the media has really run with the whole zombie-bee phorid thing. Charles and I are authors on that paper, but I want you to know that we do not agree with the statements being made in the press and by others, claiming that phorids are even remotely responsible for colony collapse.You may hear from your stakeholders that are listening to the popular press today. The media is way over-hyping this story.
Joseph DeRisi

Howard Hughes Medical Institute

UC San Francisco


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## Ted Kretschmann (Feb 2, 2011)

Frank, why did these researchers sit on this information for three years??? That is more troubling to me than the fly itself. The industry is collapsing due to CCD and these guys just might have found the problem three years back?? If they had been a little more forthcoming, we might already have a cure for the fly and possible CCD. Sounds like they put research over reason and responsibility. TED


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## Myron Denny (Sep 27, 2009)

http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_19666381
I watched the above news clip showing Dr John Hafernik and his experience with the bees that were dyeing. 

If any of you watched the u-tube of Dr John Hafernik he found the maggots quite by accident. It does not take very long to see his findings. I am surprised that if he is a scientist it has taken this amount of time to let the public know.
http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_19666381 This is what I Watched.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

I would like to think this is CCD but if it were the route cause all the samples taken from bee hives would have had maggots emerging from the dead bees unless the infestation occurs in a hive and that stress causes the healthy bees to leave. Even so, there would be zombies left behind.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

Odfrank you said you lose about 50% over winter losses, when this happens are you missing the bees too, or at least most of them so the hive cant survive?

Anyone outside of CA ever find any of these flies?


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## briancady413 (Dec 8, 2003)

Apocephalus borealis was noticed in North America in 1924, according to Wikipedia. Why has it suddenly attacked honeybees now? A. borealis might have just evolved, or perhaps something new is rendering the honeybees susceptible to plain old regular A. borealis. Hmm.


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## The Soap Pixie (Mar 15, 2010)

Did anyone see the update about this parasitic fly on natures nectar blog?

http://naturesnectar.blogspot.com/2012/01/update-on-zombie-bees.html

_It looks like the media has really run with the whole zombie-bee phorid thing. Charles and I are authors on that paper, but I want you to know that we do not agree with the statements being made in the press and by others,claiming that phorids are even remotely responsible for colony collapse. You may hear from your stakeholders that are listening to the popular press today. The media is way over-hyping this story._

Joseph DeRisiHoward Hughes Medical InstituteUC San Francisco


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## Katharina (May 2, 2011)

briancady413 said:


> Apocephalus borealis was noticed in North America in 1924, according to Wikipedia. Why has it suddenly attacked honeybees now? A. borealis might have just evolved, or perhaps something new is rendering the honeybees susceptible to plain old regular A. borealis. Hmm.


Good point. Now the other way around. Bumble bees and other preferred host to phorid flies are in decline. They may have jumped ship over to a less preferred host as a mean of survival.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Our association has also sent out a note to this "zombie bees" story. As Frank has mentioned already.

Seems the Media has taken the story, again


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

>>Sounds like they put research over reason and responsibility

are you drawing your conclusions from a media story, or the studdy itself

The guys who worked on the paper said themselves that they are and can not linking this to CCD


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## Luv2beekeep (Dec 11, 2011)

*Flys Killing Bees in California*

I am new to beekeeping and just saw this article on the parasite fly that is killing the honey bees in California. Does anybody know or have heard anymore on this. Are they being found in other states or in the north or what. I was just wondering what a person looks for and if you can treat the bees with something to kill the fly that won't kill the bee. Just wondering.

Dave


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## Myron Denny (Sep 27, 2009)

*Re: Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*



Myron Denny said:


> One of our locals lost a colony recently, I suggested he put some of the dead bees in a jar with a lid on it and put them in a warm place in his house. That was last Thursday, he should be seeing maggots in the next few days if that is the problem. I will post the results good or bad when he reports them.


I got to talk to the man last night that lost the bees, he said there were no maggots in the jar. We are thinking this colony starved or was robbed out.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

*Re: Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*

Did anyone notice that the USDA bred these and released them to kill the fire ants...


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## The Soap Pixie (Mar 15, 2010)

Michael,

I wasn't aware of that. Could you share a link to the story. I'd really like to share it with others. I tried google but couldn't find anything. :s


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

*Re: Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*



Michael Bush said:


> Did anyone notice that the USDA bred these and released them to kill the fire ants...


Yes, but like all predators when the fire ants run out then what? Predators usually pick something else.


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## Katharina (May 2, 2011)

*Re: Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*



Michael Bush said:


> Did anyone notice that the USDA bred these and released them to kill the fire ants...


It's not the same phorid fly. They used a different type for the ants.

Here is the link for the research paper on this fly:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0029639


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## Slow Modem (Oct 6, 2011)

*Re: Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*



Acebird said:


> Yes, but like all predators when the fire ants run out then what?


That's like saying when all the kudzu dies. I don't believe it will ever happen. However, if I am wrong, I will gladly admit it and will celebrate their departure.


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## Rick 1456 (Jun 22, 2010)

*Re: Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*

Perhaps, as in many parasites, they are host specific. Varroa does not parasitize other species of bees.(that I'm aware of) When the host dies, so goes the parasite. One would think the hosts would at least be in the same Family. JMHO


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## Claudia80 (Aug 19, 2010)

*Re: Parasitic Fly Causing/Contributing to CCD?*



Rick 1456 said:


> Perhaps, as in many parasites, they are host specific. Varroa does not parasitize other species of bees.(that I'm aware of)


I have seen a picture of a bumble bee that was just coated in mites. Im looking for the picture now but cant seem to find it, if I do I will post it.


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## Claudia80 (Aug 19, 2010)

Found another one.


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## Rick 1456 (Jun 22, 2010)

The mites do not look like the Varroa Species we have on our Honey bees. Are they the same species? Which was my point. Might be Varroa. I don't know. Most creatures in this world have some parasite that lives in or on them. Mites, lice, and on. Many are benign and symbiotic. They evolved with their host and for that reason, it's usually not easy for them to jump ship. Seems to me there are some folks addressing this that are much more educated than I.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

As i understand Varroa can live on Bumble bees in their phoretic state, but can't reproduce in bumble bee cells, which makes them an obligate parasite of the honey bee, but they can do the bumble bees some harm spreading viruses by sucking hemolymph. But I agree those don't look like Varroa, but I've seen pictures of Varroa on them.


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## Rick 1456 (Jun 22, 2010)

Thanks MB. I had read different. No surprise it is so. So much differing info on this subject. Bumble bee does not look native either. Least not in Southern Md.


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