Help identifying some small larvae...

[Gordon on Iona]

Hello,

Managed a quick hive inspection yesterday during a welcome respite in a wet and windy winter.

All was well, except for some small larvae we found on the plastic tray beneath the mesh floor in two of our hives.

They were almost white, between 4 and 7mm long and were in amongst the rest of the hive debris. There weren't huge numbers of them - between 5 and 10 in each hive. I attach a few images. They're not the best quality, due to the very small size of the subject.

Any ideas?

194819491950

[gavin]

Hi Gordon

Just a spot of lesser wax moth. If you leave the floor with the detritus on it for an extended period they are likely to set up home as the bees can't get to them and the stuff falling from above will suit them very nicely. Not likely to be a serious problem, just scrape them off onto the ground and maybe a passing robin will have a treat. They breed in places the bees can't get to, floor inserts and stored brood comb, and rarely in weak colonies. Read more here:

http://www.bbka.org.uk/files/library/wax_moth_l020_%28data%29_r2_1342860174.pdf

Your pictures show their silken tunnels nicely.

G.

[Gordon on Iona]

Thanks Gavin!

The floors have been in for a while as it's pretty draughty in these parts at this time of year! We hadn't really thought of cleaning them as we haven't really been near the hives. Something to bear in mind!

Thanks again,

Gordon

[gavin]

No problem. Mine don't always get scraped regularly too. The main thing is that you've no Varroa - I hope!

[busybeephilip]

to me they look like wax moth, they like to hide in the debris. I'd be more worried about the numbers of varroa mites in photo1 , if this represents a drop in 1 week then you might be going to have problems

[Jon]

I don't see any varroa in photo 1, possibly one near the rear end of the larva but it isn't clear.

[busybeephilip]

Perhaps you have a better phto quality than myself but definitely could be varroa from what i see.

[gavin]

More likely a spot of dropped propolis. Try to flip 'em over and either they're stuck or if not there are no legs underneath. Iona is, as far as I know, still well in the Varroa-free area.

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[Jon]

Photo 1 just looks like typical tray debris to me.
Even on a poor photo you should be able to see the legs and the reddish colour of the mites.

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