Deadly parasite turns honeybees into zombie slaves

[Acebird]

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.

[FlowerPlanter]

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?

[briancady413]

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.

[The Soap Pixie]

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

http://naturesnectar.blogspot.com/20...mbie-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

[Katharina]

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.

[Ian]

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

[Ian]

>>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

[Luv2beekeep]

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

[Myron Denny]

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.

[Michael Bush]

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

[The Soap Pixie]

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.

[Acebird]

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.

[Katharina]

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%...l.pone.0029639

[Slow Modem]

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.

[Rick 1456]

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

[Claudia80]

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.

[Claudia80]

bumble bee.jpg
Found another one.

[Rick 1456]

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.

[Michael Bush]

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.

[Rick 1456]

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.