Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DISEASE & PEST CONTROL => Topic started by: Michael Bush on July 27, 2022, 09:12:29 am
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...and only three are a problem:
Acarapis woodi (tracheal mites)
Tropilaelaps clareae
Varroa destructor
and only two are in North America:
Acarapis woodi
Varroa destructor
and some of them eat Varroa:
Stratiolaelaps scimitus
most of the order pseudoscorpions (about a hundred different species)
Here is the list:
https://bushfarms.com/beesmites.htm
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I LOVE pseudoscorpions! They are like one of my favorite animals. I saw one on our picnic table once and got some great pictures of it, but I can't seem to find them. They are very common, but they are extremely small so most people never see one, and those that do often mistake them for ticks unfortunately. I believe all species are beneficial, most are scavengers or predators, and many feed on mites of various types. They are sometimes called "book scorpions" because there are several species that feed on booklice, and so they can be found in old books sometimes. I'm not sure it's really accurate to call them mites, as they are not in either of the mite orders, but they are definitely awesome! :grin: Here's a short clip of one.
https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-1072856114-pseudoscorpion-false-scorpion-size-comparison-on-fingernail
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and some of them eat Varroa:
Stratiolaelaps scimitus
Quick Google shows them available, 12,500 for $18.38. Imagine shipping will be high...
Worth a try?
Doubt they would survive a thermal treatment, but bet the pseudoscorpions could. Not looked for them yet.