Tracheal Mites

Causative Agent: Acarapis woodi (Acari)

Range: Originally South & Central America

Life cycle:

• Live in the thoracic and occasionally the abdominal tracheal tubes of all 3 casts of bee.
• When in high densities it affects the bee's ability to work (decreases production and efficiency).
• Feeding occurs in the tracheal tubes where the mite penetrates through the tube to feed on hemolymph (blood).
• Female mites move to new emerged adults and begin laying eggs within 3-4 days.
• Eggs take 3-4 days to hatch and newly hatched mites move to newly emerged adults.
• Mites move by bee-to-bee contact.
• Mite populations usually decrease during the foraging season and rarely show signs of infestation in the summer and fall.

Management:

• Menthol and Aluminum phosphide can be used in the hive during periods when there is no honey overflow.
• There are newly proposed methods involving coating the bees with oil/shortening which prevents the mites from transferring bee-to-bee. These methods are untested and should be used with caution.

Misconceptions:

Eradicating mites from a hive is impossible; however it is possible to keep population levels low enough so that there are no ill effects.

Other Useful Sites: http://www.ent.uga.edu/bees/Disorders/Tracheal_mites.htm

References used:

http://www.ento.psu.edu/MAAREC/pdfs/TRACHEAL.PDF

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