Name that mite

[thundercat]

Can anyone identify this mite?... I've seen it in the bottom tray, but I've not seen any signs of disease in the hive.

Thanks in advance

 

[oliver90owner]

Looks a big one. About 100mm long?

RAB

 

[Hivemaker.]

Looks much like a pollen mite.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAqMaDtJLwI[/ame]

 

[thundercat]

Size

The size of the mite is pretty small - less than the size of a period. Because the bottom tray contains all the usual detritus, the dead ones are hard to spot. However, when you see one walking across the bottom tray, they are easy to see. I just pick them up with scotch tape, and then (after I have a good selection), I place the tape on a blank slide, and then it's under the microscope.

I hope that it's pollen mite; I suspected Euvarroa.

 

[oliver90owner]

Doesn't the size of a period depend on the font size? Or are we talking ye olde fashioned type-writer here?

RAB

 

[thundercat]

Size does matter

OK, the period size does depend on the font size. Bad reference.

Let me make another attempt at size. The mite size is about .7mm

 

[thundercat]

Pollen Mite

Actually, I found a pretty good match here
http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/beemites/Species_Accounts/Pneumolaelaps.htm#Pneumolaelaps%20costai
To save you looking it up, here's the image

 

[oliver90owner]

http://insects

Are those eight legs, I see? Could be an insect, if only 6 and a couple antennae.

RAB

 

[thundercat]

Leg Count

It's definitely an arachnid.

 

[Queens59]

Female perspective here....YUCK!!!!

 

[Ruary]

I saw something very like that several years ago when Varroa had just reached Ireland and we were all examining floor board debris.
I sent it off to the Department of Agriculture entomologist to be told it was one of the various species of 'scavenging mites' which were coomon in beehives.

Ruary