The honey bee tracheal mite damages the tracheae (breathing tubes) by piercing the tracheal wall with their mouthparts and feed on the hemolymph (blood). As a result of mite feeding, the hemolymph of infested bees has a higher-than-normal bacterial count. There is also a disruption in oxygen exchange within the tracheae because of clogging with mites, eggs and cast skins, etc. An infestation shortens the lives of adult bees, affects flight efficiency and causes a large number of crawling bees that are unable to fly.
- Clarence Collison, Mississippi State University
Bee Informed Partnership