From: "deelusbybeekeeper" <deelusbybeekeeper@excelonline.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 17:59:46 -0700
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: Wintering Notes

Dennis wrote:
> As my bees are getting ready for winter I have several observations from
> the tray beneath a screened bottom board. First the natural mite drop has
> increased dramatically, from less than 25/day to about 150/day. This rate
> has tapered off to less than 100/day by the end of September.

Reply:
I think this is good Dennis for it shows the bees went after the problem and
got with it and now it is tapering off as they gain ground and less mites to
contend with.

> At least 1/3 of the mites have obvious bite marks! I know the Europeans
> have selected bees based on this characteristic. I have looked in the
> past but never found any definite damage and didn't notice any damage
> earlier this year. More mites could be missing legs, etc. but with 10x
> lens the gash in the mites are obvious.

Reply:
This is good too you are seeing Dennis for it shows that the bees are
finally capable of getting a hold onto the little things and sinking their
jaws in. Sort of like maybe the difference between a big dog that cannot get
it's paws and mouth to the middle of it's back to bite/scratch off ticks vs
a smaller trim/lean dog that can scratch and sink jaws to rid ticks.

> About 1/2 the fallen mites are immatures and males. Before September
> the natural mite fall was primarily mature adult females with the
> occasional immature and no males.

Reply:
This is heartening to hear Dennis because if females are under control then
the bees have now turned their attention to immatures and males for a mop up action it almost sounds like.

> Another very anecdotal observation. On my bees on 5.4 foundation, I
> very seldom noticed a mite on a bee except on the ventral side of the
> abdomen between the tergites. With my small foundation bees, almost
> all the mites are located externally, usually on the dorsal side of
> abdomen on the corner of second tergite beneath the wing. Secondly
> the mites are noticed externally on the sternum and rarely on top of
> the thorax. I really didn't think that the small difference in cell size
> would make this kind of difference. Any observations?

Reply:
Been observing this in the field also, but glad you are now seeing it too.
The only way I can relate it Dennis is to compare like a suit of armour for
knights of old. Bigger knights wore bigger armour, but the plates (similar
to tergits now as example) technically fit looser and swords would get in to
draw blood, sort of like mites getting in to suck blood today. But the
smaller knights even though in armour seldom got stuck so bad because the
armour plates fit tighter together, and so it is with bugs with tergits and
body parts, fitting together like a suit of armour. Smaller, tighter means
less blood letting, and without the blood, less damage to the bees for
vectoring diseases, etc. Maybe also less strength for hanging on, as hungry
mites would have to keep on the move looking for suitable host and would be more subject to biting and removal.

Keep watching Dennis, you are doing just fine. Write everything down you
see. If they won't believe us after all these years, maybe having other
beekeepers starting to see and discribe will keep helping others to keep
going.

Most excellent what you wrote above. Sounds like bees trying to stay on top
of the problem if given a chance withou beekeepers running for the dopes if
they see larger mite falls all of a sudden, instead of checking things out
to see what actually is going on.

Bet it's hard to keep hands in pockets and just observe and watch. Know it
was very hard for me!

Very Best Regards:

Dee-