Enemies of honey bee (APIS MELLIFERA) II Hornets, birds, ants and other enemies.ppt
1. ENEMIES OF HONEY BEE (APIS MELLIFERA):
II: Hornets, birds, ants and other enemies
IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT
DR. MANDEEP RATHEE
Training Assistant, KVK, Kaithal
CCS HAU, Hisar
2. ā¢ Predatory wasps
I. Hornets
ļ¼Oriental hornet: Vespa orientalis L.
ļ¼European hornet: Vespa crabro L.
ļ¼Greater banded hornet: Vespa tropica (L.)
ļ¼Lesser banded hornet: Vespa affinis
ļ¼Black bellied hornet: Vespa basalis Smith
ļ¼Asian giant hornet: Vespa mandarinia subsp. magnifica (Smith)
ļ¼Northern giant hornet: Vespa mandarinia Smith
ļ¼Southern giant hornet: Vespa soror Buysson
ļ¼Yellow legged hornet hornet: Vespa velutina Lepeletier
(ESA: 25-07-2022) https://www.entsoc.org
Major Enemies of Honey Bee
3. II. Yellowjackets (Black with defined yellow or white markings on their bodies)
ļ¼Southern yellowjacket: Vespula squamosa (Drury)
ļ¼German yellowjacket: Vespula germanica (Fab.)
ļ¼Western yellowjacket: Vespula pensylvanica (de Saussure)
ļ¼Common yellowjacket: Vespula vulgaris (L.)
ļ¼Eastern yellowjacket: Vespula maculifrons (Buysson)
ļ¼Aerial yellowjacket: Dolichovespula arenaria (Fab.)
16. Identification of Major Wasp Species Attacking Honey Bees
Spices Size/ colour Seriousness Nest
Vespa mandarinia Largest, dark brown, hairy and has a robust
look. Head bright orange, rear part of thorax
has two eye spot like marking has strong
mandibles
5-7 wasps can finish the
colony within one hour
In the hollows of tree
trunks
Vespa basalis Brown coloured head, abdomen black with
medium sized hair
7-8 wasps attack a colony
collectively, also feed on just
dead bees.
Papery nest on top of
the tree
Vespa tropica It has a yellow brood band on the abdomen. Fast flier and catches the
foraging bees
Nests in the ground
Vespa velutina Rust red and hairy, medium sized Sits on the alighting board to
catch the bee and flies away,
very notorious wasp
Papery nest atop the
tree
Vespa orientalis Deep brown with yellow bands and brown
spot on abdomen, yellow frons, smaller sized
Plain species, less serious Nests hidden in walls
or trees
21. Extent of damage
ā¢ Vespa velutina may kill 718 bees in 4 hours duration during the peak
attack
ā¢ Vespa mandarinia may cause a strong colony to an unproductive stage
in 3 hours
ā¢ A loss of 20-25 % of bee colonies in the apiaries has been estimated
ā¢ Apiaries near the foot hills >in hills
22. Management options for reducing the damage to honeybee colonies
ā¢ Most bees and wasps are highly beneficial as predators of
pest insects or as pollinators
ā¢ Locate nests of wasps and destroy them
ā¢ Bait /trap the wasps in the apiaries. Various traps have
been designed for wasps
ā Killing the wasps with broom attracted on sugar or gur
bags sprayed with water
ā¢ Killing of queens coming out of hibernation during spring
has also been suggested
ā¢ Eliminating alighting board and reducing hive entrance
ā¢ Flapping the visitor wasps at the hive entrance or
foraging in and around the apiary
ā¢ Use of screen and bee wasp protectors
31. ā¢ Ants are not usually serious pests
ā¢ Occasionally, may enter colonies in search
of food or establishing nesting sites
ā¢ Ants are typically found between the
inner and outer covers of the hive and in
pollen traps
ā¢ Persistent attacks by ants sometimes may
induce absconding in honey bee colonies
ā¢ Even though majority of the antsā species
seldom disturb the bees, but can be a
nuisance to the beekeeper
ā¢ May take way feed, larvae and dead
adults
ā¢ Invade hives frequently in monsoon
season and lay eggs as well
ANTS
35. Red imported fire ant
Solenopsis invicta Buren
Tropical fire ant
Solenopsis geminata (Fab.)
36. Pharaoh ant
Monomorium pharaonis (L.)
Singapore/destryoer ant
Monomorium destructor
(Jerdon)
Little black ant
Monomorium indicum Forel
37. ā¢ Use propolis to fill cracks and crevices
ā¢ Maintain strong colonies
ā¢ Keep bottom boards raised off the ground
ā¢ Place the colony on stand with oil or sticky barrier
ā¢ Create a slippery barrier by using AntCant and Tree Tanglefoot
ā¢ Alternatively, put legs of the stand in broad earthen bowls full of water (ant wells) to
check entry of ants into the hive
ā¢ Use carbon disulphide fumigation (2-4 tsp.) or 0.2% chlorpyriphos to destroy
underground nests of ants
ā¢ Colonies capable of defending by fanning should be selected and used as breeder
colonies for mass rearing of queen bees
ā¢ Brush away if few ants are invading the colony
ā¢ Repellents e.g. sulphur powder, borax powder, sodium fluoride can be used against ants
ā¢ Spread diatomaceous earth or cinnamon around your hives
Control
38. Ant Proof hive feet
Ant Proof hive stand
Ant Proof feets Ant Proof
stciky products
39. ā¢ Major pest in USA, Australia, Europe and Africa
ā¢ Adults are oblong in shape
ā¢ Around 5-7 mm long
ā¢ Body coloration: tan to reddish-brown, dark brown
or black
ā¢ Head and antennae tucked down beneath the thorax
ā¢ A single female beetle can produce over 1000 eggs in
her lifetime, in clusters of 10ā30 eggs
ā¢ Eggs are similar in shape to those of honey bees, but
2/3 the size
ā¢ Larvae are elongated, cream-colored to slightly
golden grubs (10-12 mm)
ā¢ Larvae prey upon A. mellifera honey, pollen, and
even brood
ā¢ Severe infestation makes honey slimy and defecated
and colony may abscond
Small hive beetle: Aethina tumida Murray
Honey contaminated by beetle larvae
Beetles on the comb
40. Small hive beetle eggs oviposited in clutches in a honey bee colony
Small hive beetle larvae
41. Small hive beetle
A. early pupal stage
B. late pupal stage
C. adult ready to emerge from pupation chamber
D. adult on honey bee comb
42.
43. ā¢ Common pest in sub- Saharan Africa
ā¢ Adults are broader and oblong in shape
ā¢ Around 20-23 mm long
ā¢ Body coloration: black with orange antennal tips
ā¢ Eggs are oval white (2 to 3 mm)
ā¢ Mature larvae are white with orange heads and pearly
abdomen (10-12 mm)
ā¢ Larvae preferentially feed on young honey bee larvae
ā¢ Larvae prey upon A. mellifera honey, pollen, and even
brood
ā¢ Heavily infested honey bee colonies can have 700 or more
adult beetles
ā¢ Severe infestation makes honey slimy and defecated and
colony may abscond
Large hive beetle: Oplostomus fuligineus (Olivier)
Beetles on the comb
44.
45. a Frame before damage v/s b Frame after damage showing uncapped cells
c Frame before damage v/s d Frame showing damage to uncapped honey cells
e Beetle feeding on brood deep inside and f Feeding on brood on comb surface
Ayuka et al. (2013)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s
13592-012-0149-6
46. Management
ā¢ Maintain strong colonies
ā¢ Control mites and other stresses
ā¢ Remove burr comb
ā¢ Keep the apiary clean
ā¢ Eliminating eggs or hatchling sources such as cow dung & leaf litter
ā¢ Seal cracks & crevices
ā¢ Clean bottom board
ā¢ Remove extra honey and pollen frames
ā¢ Place diatomaceous earth, and/or slaked lime around the hives
ā¢ Diatomaceous earth tested in traps killed 100% of beetles tested
through dehydration (Cribb et al., 2013)
ā¢ Honey supers can be frozen at -12Ā°C for 24 hours to kill all stages of
beetles
ā¢ Bacillus thuringiensis and EPNs like Steinernema riobrave and
Heterorhabditis indica
ā¢ Use of beetle traps
47. Beetle traps
1. West Beetle Trap
2. Freeman Trap
3. Bucket traps
4. Bottom bar box traps
5. Baited flight traps
6. Pitfall traps: Beetle Barn plastic trap, Beetle Blaster, AJās Beetle
Eater, and Beetle Jail Jr. Traps
7. Fabric entanglement traps: Beetle Bee-Gone
48. West Beetle Trap
ā¢ The West Beetle Trap is placed on the
bottom board, and requires a wooden
shim to maintain proper space beneath
the frames
ā¢ It contains a shallow pool of oil, and is
covered by a slatted screen that excludes
bees
ā¢ Adult beetles enter the trap from above,
to escape from bees, and fall into the oil
and drown
ā¢ Hives must be kept extremely level for
these traps to be effective
ā¢ These traps preclude the use of screen
bottom boards for ventilation.
49. Freeman beetle Trap
ā¢ The Freeman Beetle Trap is similar to
the West Trap in function
ā¢ It replaces the bottom board with a 3 mm
(1/8ā) screen mesh, as used for varroa
control
ā¢ An oil-filled tray is inserted into a
compartment below the screen
ā¢ Adult beetles enter the trap to escape
from bees, and fall into the oil and drown
ā¢ Wandering beetle larvae may also fall into
the trap as they attempt to exit the hive to
pupate
ā¢ These traps can passively eliminate some
varroa mites as well
ā¢ Hives must be kept level for these traps
to work.
50. Beetle Barn Plastic Trap
Placed on top of frames, with
small entrances that only
allow beetle entry
Beetle bait recipe:
ā¢1 cup of water
ā¢1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
ā¢1/4 cup of sugar
ā¢ Peel of 1 ripe banana- chopped
into small pieces
51. AJās Beetle Eater
AJās Beetle Eater
ā¢ Sits between the top bars
of the frames
ā¢ Must open hive to install
and remove
ā¢ Relies on oil reservoir to
kill SHB
58. Honey guides
ļ¼ This is the second major bird
group of predators of honey bee
which comprises 11 species
under 4 genera
ļ¼ Among them, 9 species are found
in Africa and 2 species in Asia of
which one is found in Nagaland
and Manipur while other is
found in Thailand, Burma,
Sumatra and Malaya
ļ¼ They exhibit guiding behaviour
and symbiotic relationship with
mammals. They prefer beeās wax
to honey or honey bee larvae
Greater throated honey guide
Indicator indicator
Scaly throated honey guide
Indicator variegatus
Honey guides
61. Common great tit
Parus major subsp. major Blue tit
Parus caeruleus
Summer tanager
Piranga rubra
62. Bee eaters
ļ¼ Bee eater birds belongs to the family Meropidae
ļ¼ A bee eater attacks or catches the flying bees, devouring them by
beating against perch
ļ¼ Their breeding season is from February to June
ļ¼ They form nests in the form of tunnels in earth mound or sandy
cuttings. Eggs are 4-9 in number, white, oval to roundish oval with
an average size of 19.3-26.2 x 17.3-21.9 mm
ļ¼ The predation rate of small green bee eater on A. mellifera
foragers on an average is 708 Ā± 111.2 foragers/ day are eaten per
bird
ļ¼ Predation was normally maximum between 1000 to 1300 h
whereas it was minimum between 1600-1900 hr.
63. Management
i) Scaring
ļ¼ Use of sound in high pitch with different notes
ļ¼ Beating the drums and empty tins
ļ¼ Throwing pieces of stones/ pebbles through Gulel or
manually
ļ¼ Use of sulphur- potash mixture
ļ¼ Hanging 2-3 dead bee eaters at 5 m height
ļ¼ Producing distress call/ voice of injured bee eater by
recording audio cassette and played on the amplifier
64. Management
ii) Reflective tapes
ļ¼ Reflective tapes of different colours (1m x 3.5 cm) fixed on
string at a distance of 20-30 cm at a height 5 m on two
poles/ stems
iii) Keep bee hives under thick canopy of trees
iv) Restrict flight activity of bees by
ļ¼ Provision of water near apiary
v) Destroy nesting sites of bee eating birds