Print Page - cooties on inner cover

Title: cooties on inner cover
Post by: salvo on October 16, 2012, 06:12:50 PM

Hi Folks,

Just finished my second summer as a beek.

Past few weeks I've noticed a very small, gray colored, oval shaped insect on the seams of my top and inner covers.

They are small enough that I may have missed them all along, or thier numbers were too small, but I'm noticing them now. Colonies seem to be unaffected by them,...so far. Hives have been/are in beating sun.

I'm assuming they're insects (six legged) as opposed to eight legged, as they are oval and move more like an insect, almost like a flea.

What kinda cootie could it bee?

I'm out tonight, so I'll check in later tonight.

Thank you.

Salvo

Title: Re: cooties on inner cover
Post by: Kathyp on October 16, 2012, 08:44:24 PM

can you post a picture of your cooties? ;)

Title: Re: cooties on inner cover
Post by: johnnybigfish on October 17, 2012, 09:29:40 PM

yeh, "Cootie Pics" are cool!...are they walkin around or just kinda sittin there?
your friend,
john

Title: Re: cooties on inner cover
Post by: salvo on October 17, 2012, 09:49:37 PM

I tried to get photos today. No luck. Camera couldn't focus on something so small.

I tried to catch them. I crushed a few. Pointed ovals, apparently soft bodies, steady movement. They are only in my Carniolan hive. My mutts as well as my VSH are cootie free.

Could they be a louse of some sort.

(http://s18.postimage.org/qdjawnrvp/cootie_catcher.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/qdjawnrvp/)

(http://s12.postimage.org/idq84xiu1/cootie.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/idq84xiu1/)

(http://s14.postimage.org/3v036cqrx/louse.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/3v036cqrx/)

Thank you. :)

Salvo

Title: Re: cooties on inner cover
Post by: Kathyp on October 17, 2012, 10:39:57 PM

:-D

you say they are small. are they the size of the end of a pin, the size of an ant......

http://www.indianahoney.org/small-hive-beetle.cfm (http://www.indianahoney.org/small-hive-beetle.cfm)

look like this?

Title: Re: cooties on inner cover
Post by: JackM on October 18, 2012, 08:40:03 AM

Yep Kathy, those are cooties, that is for sure.

Who remembers the toy cooties when we were little kids??????

Title: Re: cooties on inner cover
Post by: salvo on October 18, 2012, 11:31:08 AM

Thanks Folks,

I'm familiar with SHB and their larvae. I've got a few of them. I would descibe the beetle as a dark brown Lady Bug. My cooties are not larvae. Also familiar with waxmoth larvae and varroa. Varroa more rounded and darker. These things actually look more like that stuffed louse I posted.

Smaller than the head of a common pin, pointed oval, medium gray color.

I was even thinking "spring-tails", but my bugs don't go boing!

Thanks again,

Salvo

Title: Re: cooties on inner cover
Post by: sterling on October 18, 2012, 11:38:15 AM

Are there any on your bees? They sound like V mites.

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BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: salvo on October 16, 2012, 06:12:50 PM