| *Pests ANTS - (also see Malady Info Overview - Ants)  Damage Most ant species are not usually serious pests in honey bee colonies. Occasionally, some species may enter colonies to search for food or establish nesting sites. The presence of ants may indicate a weak colony or a colony with problems, however, ants also can often be found in strong, heathy colonies. Ants are typically found between the inner and outer covers of the hive and in pollen traps. Even though ants seldom disturb the bees, they can become a nuisance to beekeepers because they sting or bite them as they work the colony. Control  Once ants are established
in a colony, they are difficult to control. Maintain strong colonies and keep bottom boards raised off the ground.
Remove brush, rotten wood, grass, and weeds from around the colonies. Single colonies can be placed on stands with
oil or sticky barriers. When ants are a persistent problem beekeepers may have to use approved insecticides for
control. Extreme caution must be used when applying insecticides in the apiary. Insecticides that are effective
in controlling ants are also highly toxic to bees. Application of insecticides should be made when the bees are
inactive. Check with your state or Provincial apiary inspector for approved materials to control ants in apiaries.CARPENTER ANTS Camponotus pennsylvanicus (DeGeer) The black carpenter ant is a common invader of homes in the northeastern United States. In their natural habitat, carpenter ants aid in the decomposition of dead, decaying trees. They normally nest in logs, stumps, and hollow trees. However, the large, dark-colored workers can invade bee colonies in search of food. These ants seldom tunnel into dry, sound wood, but they may excavate moist, rotting wood and other soft materials (such as foamed plastic insulation board) to make satellite nests. |
DESCRIPTION - Difference between carpenter ants and termites Carpenter ants and termites are social insects that live in colonies and excavate wood. Because of this, homeowners may mistake one for the other. It is important to distinguish between the two because each requires different methods of control.  Eastern
Subterranean Termites Workers are creamy-white, wingless, and 1/8 to 1/4 inch in length. They live hidden from view, unless their tunnels are exposed. Reproductive forms are brown or black, have wings, and measure about 3/8 to 1/2 inch in length. The body is not constricted between the thorax and the abdomen. The antennae are straight with beadlike segments. The front and hind wings of a reproductive termite are about equal in length. Carpenter Ants Workers are wingless, dark shiny brown to black in color, and 1/4 to 1/2 inch in length. They may be seen crawling around inside a residence. Winged reproductive forms resemble workers in color and shape but are up to 3/4 inch long. The body is constricted between the thorax and the abdomen. The antennae are elbowed. The front wing of a reproductive ant is longer than the hind wing. Illustration from http://www.srs.fs.fed.us/termites/pictures.html |
| LIFE HISTORY A carpenter ant colony has one wingless queen and many sterile, wingless, female workers. It also has white, legless larvae and, at certain times, winged females and males. The eggs are white and the pupae cocoons are tan. Usually, a colony does not produce winged males and queens (the reproductives) until it is several years old and has about 2,000 to 3,000 workers. Approximately 200 to 400 winged ants develop in the summer, remain in the nest through the winter, and leave the nest the following spring or early summer. The ants hibernate (are inactive) during the winter. They will be active, however, if a nest is located in a heated portion of a building. Winged males and females emerge from established colonies on warm days in the spring and early summer. Mating occurs during a brief flight, after which the male dies, and the female (queen) removes her wings and searches for a suitable nesting site. The nest is usually located in a cavity in the soft, moist, decaying wood of a hollow tree, stump, or log. A new queen lays fifteen to twenty eggs which produce the first brood of offspring. The whitish, soft-bodied, legless larvae later become the sterile female workers. Development from egg to worker requires a minimum of about sixty days. The workers of the first brood are small because they are nourished only from food reserves that are stored in the queen's body. Once these workers become adults, the queen's only function is to lay eggs. The adult workers forage for food, enlarge the nest, and feed and care for the queen and subsequent larvae. They eat dead insects and other small invertebrates as well as the honeydew secreted by aphids and scale insects. They regurgitate this food and feed the larvae and the queen. Workers of succeeding broods are larger because they are fed by the foraging workers. DIAGNOSIS The presence of large (1/2 inch), wingless, dark-colored ants inside a bee colony or stored equipment is usually the first sign of an infestation. However, this does not necessarily mean that a nest is present; the nest may actually be located outside. Thus, foraging workers from the nest may be entering the hive in search of food and water. These worker ants, which usually emerge at night, will feed on sugar and fat. The parent colony is often located in a tree, log, or waste wood within 100 yards of the house. Workers travel between the satellite and parent colonies. To eliminate the ants, the parent and the satellite nests must be found and eliminated. Damage Look for piles of coarse, stringy wood particles, dead insect parts and other debris that are sifting from cracks in the hive bodies. Because carpenter ants do not consume the wood as food, excavated particles are dumped outside the nest. Unlike termites, the tunnels or galleries of carpenter ants are smooth-sided and contain no soil particles or fecal pellets. Bee equipment stored on the ground, that becomes damp, is especially vulnerable. PREVENTION Remove stumps, logs, and waste wood within 100 yards of the apiary. Do not allow vegetation, especially evergreen shrubs and trees, to be in contact with bee hives. Usually, carpenter ants will not infest wood that is sound and has a moisture content of less than 15 percent. Keep exterior wood surfaces painted. CONTROL MEASURES Dust formulations of diatomaceous earth, silica aerogel, or boric acid have no or low mammalian toxicity and may be blown into nests and cavities to kill the ants. The elimination of nests should be accompanied by removing infested equipment and burning it. Nests outside should be eliminated by removing the infested wood or tree, or by treating it with an insecticide product labeled for such use. FIRE ANTS Red Imported Fire Ant Management Considerations for Beekeepers Bastiaan M. Drees, Fire Ant Project Coordinator Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas Red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, can menace bees and beekeepers. Worker ants can invade bee hives and feed on pollen, bee pupae and developing bee larvae (protein), occasionally destroying weakened hives. They also sting repeatedly and in high numbers when their colonies or food sources are disturbed or threatened. Beekeepers can be attacked during hive maintenance operations. The red imported fire ant infests the eastern two-thirds of Texas. This species can be moved to new, noninfested areas on such articles as nursery stock, sod, hay and bee hives. Counties in infested states are under quarantine by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Moving imported fire ants out of these areas is prohibited. The quarantine regulations are enforced in Texas by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). To prevent losses from red imported fire ants, beekeepers should monitor areas where bee hives are to be located when they remain on site. Identify the ants there correctly. Avoid attracting foraging worker ants to hives by leaving dead brood and other material near bee hives. Keep bee colonies healthy and vigorous. To discourage ant colonies from moving into bee hives, elevate the hives several inches on timbers, bricks or stones. Prevent imported fire ants from spreading by inspecting hives and eliminating the ants before moving the bees to new locations. If insecticides are to be used near bee hives, be careful not to poison the bees. Chemical control options: 1. Treat heavily infested areas around hives using the Two-Step Method. Use products registered for the site where hives are located. For Step 1, broadcast a conventional bait-formulated product. For example, those containing hydramethylnon, fenoxycarb, pyriproxifen, or s-methoprene once or twice per year over an area of about 1/2 to 1 acre around the hives. Then, for Step 2, treat individual mounds to quickly eliminate only those nuisance ant mounds posing an immediate hazard. This step can be taken at any time, but usually beginning 2 to 7 days after broadcasting bait. Individual ant mound treatments are formulated as granules, liquids, dusts, fumigants and bait. 2. (Optional). The outer surface of the pallets or stand elevating the hives can be carefully treated by applying a nonvolatile, long-residual contact insecticide. Specialty paint-on or paint-additive formulations containing diazinon or chlorpyrifos (e.g., Insecta "Clear Finish, Killmaster" II) to produce a chemical barrier on surfaces. A registered contact granular or liquid contact insecticide also can be applied to the ground around the hives, beneath pallets or plastic ground covers. Preferably, treat before moving the bee hives to the location. To prevent bees from contacting treated surfaces, apply insecticides late in the evening or early in the morning when bees are not active. Read product labels and use insecticides and formulations least toxic to bees. The Texas Imported Fire Ant Research & Management Plan, funded by the Texas legislature for 1998 and 1999, supports the search for improved sustainable and pest management solutions for this pes. Researchers and educators at The Texas A&M Unviersity System, which includes the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, The Unviersity of Texas, Texas Tech Unviersity and the Texas Department of Agriculture, are working together to eliminate the imported fire ant as a serious pest. Acknowledgments The author is grateful for input from Paul Jackson, State Entomologist, and for review comments and input from Dr. John G. Thomas, extension Entomologist Emeritus. The information given herein is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Cooperative Extension Service is implied. Educational programs conducted by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin. For more information about fire ant management, see Extension publications B-6043, Managing Red Imported Fire Ants in Urban Areas; L-5070, The Two-Step Method Do-It-Yourself Fire Ant Control; or B-1536, Fire Ants and their Management. Also visit our web site at http://fireant.tamu.edu. Earwigs Earwigs Earwigs are common in beehives, however they do little or no harm to honey bees. These insects are dark brown and slender, and easy to recognize because of their forceps-like tails. They are nocturnal and hide in the cracks and crevices of the hive during the day. They are most often seen between the inner and outer covers when hives are being opened. Control is rarely, if ever, necessary.  |
| BEE LOUSE - (also see Malady
Info Overview - Bee Louse) Identification Braula coeca, or the bee louse, as it is called, is actually a wingless fly. The adults are small (slightly smaller than the head of a straight pin), and reddish brown in color. While several adult flies may live on a queen, usually only one lives on a worker. Bee lice seem to prefer nurse bees. Braula move rapidly over the body surface, settling on the dorsal surface at the junction of the bee's thorax and abdomen. They remain there until a hunger response causes them to crawl up to the bee's head near its mouth parts. This movement seems to irritate the bee, causing it to regurgitate a drop of nectar. Braula then inserts its mouth parts into those of the bees, stealing food. Bees actively try to remove the fly.  Life cycle and damage
The louse lays its eggs on the capped honey. After oviposition, the adults die. Upon hatching, the young burrow into the cappings, and as the larvae grow, their tunnels lengthen and broaden. At this stage the infestation is easiest to observe. The larvae pupate inside the tunnel after making a line of weakness in the wax to aid in its emergence as an adult. Soon after emergence, about twenty-one days later, the young adult crawls upon a bee. The diet of the fly larvae appears to be wax and perhaps pollen grains incorporated into the wax. Braula's damage to a bee colony is usually limited. The amount of food taken by the larvae and adults is negligible. Reports exist that if large number of flies live on the queen, they can impede her egg laying ability. However, the appearance of tunnels on comb honey can make it unmarketable. Honey production by strong colonies infested with bee lice appears to be little affected. Note: Because ther are susceptable to treatments for parasitic mites, Braula are found rarely in colonies today. A casual glance however may lead one to mistake Braula for varroa mites since they are so similar in color and size. Braual coeca have six legs while varroa have eight. |
| MICE - (also see Malady
Info Overview - Mice) Damage  Mice are a serious pest
of stored combs and active honey bee colonies during the fall and winter months. These rodents chew combs and frames
to make room for building their nests. Mouse feces and urine on combs and frames make bees reluctant to clean out
these nests in the spring. Adult mice move into bee colonies in the fall and usually nest in the corners of the
lower hive body away from the winter cluster. Colonies located near fields or at the edge of wood lots are especially
vulnerable. Mice can successfully build a nest even in a strong colony. They move in and out of the colony while
the bees are inactive, and their nests furnish additional protection. Their activity may disturb the bees but the
greater damage, is to combs and equipment from their nest building.Control  Early in the fall, the
hive entrance should be restricted with entrance cleats or hardware cloth (three mesh to the inch) to keep out
the mice. Chase away any mice found inside a colony, then remove the nest and restrict the entrance. Place hives
on hive stands that are at least 9 inches off the ground. Keep the area around the hives mowed and remove any unused
equipment from the apiary. If comb chewing is extensive, replace the frames. When bees repair damaged combs, worker-sized cells are replaced with drone comb. Combs in storage should be protected from mice by covering the top and bottom of each pile of supers with a queen excluder, wire screen, or outer telescoping lid. |
| WAX MOTH - (also see Malady
Info Overview - Wax Moth) Life cycle and damage  Larvae of the greater wax
moth, Galleria melonella, cause considerable damage to combs left unattended by bees. Combs in weak or dead
colonies and in storage areas are subject to attack. Wax moths pose a continuous threat except when temperatures
drop below 40 degrees F. Strong colonies keep these grayish-white larvae under control. Adult female moths fly at night and deposit masses of eggs on unprotected honeycombs and in the cracks between hive bodies. After a few days these larvae hatch, crawl onto the comb, and begin their feeding activity. They damage or destroy the combs by boring through the cells as they feed on cocoons, cast skins, and pollen. As they chew through the wax, they spin silken galleries for protection. Combs are often reduced to a mass of webs and debris. Wax moth larvae seldom attack new combs and foundation.  This pest also does considerable
damage to comb honey. The eggs are probably laid on the comb or section boxes before the comb honey supers are
removed from the hives. Damage becomes evident after the honey has been stored for several weeks or even months,
since larval developmental time depends on temperature. The larval stage may last from twenty-eight days to five
months, depending on nutrition and environmental conditions. During this period, larvae may vary from less than
1/8 inch to 1 inch in length. When fully grown, the larva spins a rough silken cocoon, which is usually attached
to the frame or inside of the hive. Frequently the larva cements the cocoon inside a cavity chewed in the wood.
Chewed frames are weakened and easily broken. Within the cocoon, the larva changes to the pupa and over-winters
in the pupal stage. Under warm conditions, adults may emerge at almost any time of year.Control  Paradichlorobenzene
(PDB) has recently been reregistered for wax moth control. While Certan is no longer registered for this use,
cold temperatures can be used on a small scale. Honey supers and brood combs can be stored in a freezer during
periods when wax moths are problematic (summer and fall). During the winter, all honey and brood combs should be
stored in an unheated shelter to prevent wax moth damage. If supers must be stored in a warm room or basement,
they may be protected by placing PDB crystals on a small piece of paper on every fifth super in the stack, which
should then be covered. The treatment must be continued at regular intervals all winter. PDB kills adults and immature
wax moths, but not eggs. The continuous presence of crystals within the stack not only repels moths and prohibits
egg laying, but also kills any young larvae that hatch after the combs are placed in storage. Untreated combs should
be inspected regularly for signs of infestation, especially if temperatures rise above 60 degrees F and permit
wax moth activity. Supers should be aired before using them in the spring. See label directions for details on using PDB and approved chemical treatments. CAUTION: Moth balls and crystals (naphthalene) should not be used to control wax moth. Another option for protecting unused brood and honey combs is to store them outdoors where light and air can reach all of the combs. Wax moths avoid light and prefer to feed in dark, still areas. Supers and brood boxes with drawn comb can be laid horizontally rather than vertically with a gap between each box. It is best to keep them directly off the ground to protect them from mice and other rodents. Note: Honey combs that have not housed brood, as well as foundation can be vulnerable to wax moth larvae, but as wax moth larvae get their nutrition from the cocoons, pollen and brood food left in the cells, damage is limited. Since foundation and honey combs do not have these nutrients, wax moth larvae cannot successfully develop on these. |