Re: [nafex] Re: solitary bees

["dwalsh/wchase" <wchase@interchange.ubc.ca>]

Chris,

Those are different bees from the ones we have here.  Maybe it is an unnecessary
concern .. the egg falling off the pollen ... but the suggestion came from a
member of the Bee Department at Simon Fraser U.

We do have pollen mites infesting the nests.  Some people are washing their
cocoons in the dormant season.  The mites are on the outside of the cocoon and are
washed off in this procedure.

I think the pollen mites are only present on the early hatching blue orchard bees
(BOB), but I have to pay more attention this year.  On April 11, the first females
emerged and I estimated 70% of the bees flying at that time (male and female) had
mites on them and the mites covered from 30-75% of their backs.

Today I went out and 90% of the BOB have no visible mites and those that are
covered have mites covering 50-75% of their backs.

Note: this is a non-scientific observation ... I'm just eye-balling the bees.

Have the BOB with mites died, been killed, been eaten by birds?
Have the BOB wiped off the mites?
Have the mites fallen off the BOB?
Have the mites jumped off inside the straw and are now laying their eggs?
Other?

Derry

Derry Walsh & Bill Chase  email:wchase@interchange.ubc.ca
Aldergrove,  B. C.,  Canada
phone/fax (604) 856-9316
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Home web page  http://www.interchange.ubc.ca/wchase/HTML
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:
: I do know of one grower who had his bees in a non-moveable board
: found that overtime the bees gradually died out (parasites?  disease?
: spray?)
:
: Chris Mauchline
: SE PA, zone 6
:


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