Deformed Bee's? (pic's)

[Matthew.Passmore]

Ive being seeing alot of Bee's lately that seen the have been born with heavily under developed wings and unable to fly, they just seem to sit there and wait to be eaten., just wondered if anyone else has noticed this? are these some special member of the hive and meant to be like this?

Matt.

 

[EdS]

that is the classic sign of varroa

 

[Matthew.Passmore]

Hmm, I've had a close look at the bee and it doesn't have any Varroa mite on it (I've heard they are very large) world the bee have been attacked by them in the larval stage causing it not to develop properly?

 

[eskimo]

Varroa Mites are relativly small, there's a picture here of some on a bee : http://www.bushfarms.com/images/Varroa2.jpg

 

[EdS]

its not the mite itself that causes the defect it is a parasite that hey pass on.

The wing damage is done in the inmature brood stage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varroa_destructor

 

[Matthew.Passmore]

ah rite, looking on wikipedia it mention the "Deformed wing virus"

learn something new everyday.
thanks for the info guys.

 

[Blades]

Poor guy. reminds me of Heimlich from a bugs life.

 

[Matthew.Passmore]

Poor guy. reminds me of Heimlich from a bugs life.

I feel sorry for them, they just sit and flail around when you nudge them,I just quickly put them out of their misery.

 

[Blades]

I would attempt to superglue some larger wings on it.

 

[robin wood]

Thanks for posting this, I didn't know veroa affected bumbles as well as honey bees, I would have thought that with the hive dying off overwinter and only the queens overwintering to start a new colony they would be less susceptible, wonder if solitary bees get it too?