Varroa mites and wasps?

jigsaw · Oct 14, 2009

Just listening to a wasp on the window while on the forum.I wondered if the varroa mite infected wasp hives as well as honey bees hives. Is it possible wasps while robbing a hive could pick up the mites and return to their hives with them. Are they able to breed in a wasp hive, or are they exclusive to honey bees? ( squished the wasp by the way.) :smash:

RoofTops · Oct 14, 2009

I am sure wasps have their own mites but not I think varroa. One factor is wasp cells hang down vertically so the varroa would have to crawl upwards. Also wasps are carnivorous so would probably eat any varroa they saw.

However, it has been recorded: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2256338

taff.. · Oct 14, 2009

wasps have a long broodless period overwinter where a mated female will be the only survivor of a summer time nest, even if they do have mites during the summer they couldn't surely multiply to the point of being a problem.

what I've read indicates that it takes several seasons for the mites to be a major issue in a honeybee colony.

oliver90owner · Oct 14, 2009

taff..

what I've read indicates that it takes several seasons for the mites to be a major issue in a honeybee colony.

I think you misread several brood cycles as seasons.

Regards, RAB

taff.. · Oct 14, 2009

oliver90owner said:
taff..

what I've read indicates that it takes several seasons for the mites to be a major issue in a honeybee colony.

I think you misread several brood cycles as seasons.

Regards, RAB

I think I worded that badly, what I meant was it would (normally) take more than 1 season for a strong colony to go from 1 mite to over run with them and die out as would need to happen in a wasp colony,

honeybee season 2 would start with a high might count and then get higher if untreated leading to major problems where the wasp would likely be back to zero.

I think

time to go to week 1 of the continuation course, bye :cheers2:

Finman · Oct 14, 2009

taff.. said:
wasps have a long broodless period overwinter where a mated female will be the only survivor of a summer time nest,.

The wasp nest rear tens of new queens and drones. Mated queen dies.
The nest will be ruined.

Queens over winter somewhere freezed and start to build a new hive in next summer.

Varroa just cannot live on wasp. 100 years ago it did not live even on Apis mellifera.