[jdittemore]

I have a client that has horses and he uses a product called FLY PREDATORS to control flies. it is a tiny wasp that eats the fly larvae. Does anyone know if they will eat bee larvae?

 

[Adam]

I had a few entomology classes in college and they may be called brachanid wasps (spelling may be incorrect). I thought they were species specific laying eggs and not actually eating the larvae, but I would not think the parasitic wasp would be able to gain entry to a healthy hive. I have seen parasitic wasp eggs on catalpa worms, and noticed the wasps flying around when there is a decent hatch of these worms.

 

[Kieck]

These parasitoids are very, very specific in regards to their hosts. The wasps that parasitize flies would not go after bees. In fact, the wasps that go after stable flies would not go after horse flies.

 

[Countryboy]

Brachonid wasps parasitize tomato hornworms. They sting the worm to paralyze it, and then lay tons of white egg coccoons on the worm, which hatch out and eat the worm. They look more like a mud dauber with a long tail.

 

[Kieck]

Different species (different genus, even) of brachonid wasp that parasitizes tomato hornworms. The family Brachonidae includes a vast number of species. Neither form mentioned in this thread will parasitize honey bees.

 

[jdittemore]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I did not think it would be a problem but I have never heard of this wasp before and did not know anything about it.

 

[walking bird]

I use fly predators; have used 'em for more than 10 years. They lay eggs in fly pupae, and their larva hatch almost immediately and eat the pupating fly. Work great against stable flies, horse flies, common houseflies, cadaver flies, others.

They only work on manure or filth-breeding flies. Water breeders (like our canyon fly, a little gnat-like booger that flies in your eys and ears, but doesn't bit) are unaffected by the fly predators.

 

[hoodswoods]

They only work on manure or filth-breeding flies. Water breeders (like our canyon fly, a little gnat-like booger that flies in your eys and ears, but doesn't bit) are unaffected by the fly predators.

Unlike our 'no-see-ums' here in the east that bite like crazy.