More Mites, Hive #6
The mite kill on hive #6 continues -they keep falling heavily. I looked today- maybe another hundred since Saturday (three days). Its the last week of treatment. I have no idea how bad off the other hives might be- I have this feeling that counting the mite board isn't too accurate this early- they are young mites maybe, not dropping like they will later. In any case, it makes me think about treating when they are broodless, and shorten the cycle, and get to all the mites.
I bought yet another cheapish digital microscope, and below is an image. Pretty good in comparison to the previous one- its 5MP, not 2, and it makes a difference. The software allows you to measure things with it- and this mite is about .8 mm across. The depth of field is shallow, so I will have to take multiple images and combine them to get one more in focus, which I have not yet done.
And below, another mite.One of hundreds. Sometimes they are alive, usually dead. The flotsam and jetsam is pollen, but sometimes you see other things- some bug life (a few beetles, moth larvae, and other sorts of mites that seem to live in the detritus of the hive). The mites are pretty intelligently designed. A shell, flat organs, pretty darn speedy. Crablike, and ancient looking. Plus, its not really them that are so evil, its those pesky viruses. I don't really know if its known if these are an ancient scourge, and evolved with the honey bee, or one that jumped ship. Google it ( I can't bear to google any more today).
I bought yet another cheapish digital microscope, and below is an image. Pretty good in comparison to the previous one- its 5MP, not 2, and it makes a difference. The software allows you to measure things with it- and this mite is about .8 mm across. The depth of field is shallow, so I will have to take multiple images and combine them to get one more in focus, which I have not yet done.
And below, another mite.One of hundreds. Sometimes they are alive, usually dead. The flotsam and jetsam is pollen, but sometimes you see other things- some bug life (a few beetles, moth larvae, and other sorts of mites that seem to live in the detritus of the hive). The mites are pretty intelligently designed. A shell, flat organs, pretty darn speedy. Crablike, and ancient looking. Plus, its not really them that are so evil, its those pesky viruses. I don't really know if its known if these are an ancient scourge, and evolved with the honey bee, or one that jumped ship. Google it ( I can't bear to google any more today).
Not to ignore the bees- but while I have mites on my brain... more mites below. Sort of showing the density of the kill in this particular hive (larva casing to the left I think- you can see the shedding from an antennae):
And on a more positive note,sort of, dropped pollen. Bees scrape this off their hairy bodies and mix this with nectar as they are flying, and pack it back on their back legs. The screened entries rob a few of them (which can sometimes be a considerable amount).
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