Mites are found all over the world; some don’t cause cause problems and some do. The one that affects our mason bee (O. lignaria) is a hairy-footed one named after Dr. Krombein. Click on “taxonomy” to see the scientific breakdown. Krombein’s hairy footed mite literally takes over the bee’s nesting chamber. It goes after the egg or larva in that cell, turning the beebread into powder. The adults lay eggs and their generations multiply and sustain their life cycle within the unit. They do not like heat or warmth and thus the moist coolness of a region will give them all the creature comforts they need to survive.
I found a very interesting article: “Mitey Bees: the Blue Orchard Bee’s Mite Pest” by Evan Sugden. It gives one a great closeup of the mite not only in information, but photos as well. Click on the title below to get there.
taxonomy
MITES
