PARASITIC MITE SYNDROME - THE SYMPTOMS

The impact of the parasitic mites Acarapis woodi and Varroa jacobsoni has been devasting. In addition to reports of field observations, the Bee Research Laboratory has seen an increase in bee disease samples th at we in the Laboratory have chosen to call the ''parasitic mite syndr ome.'' The entire colony, both adult bees and food are affected. Sympt oms can occur at any time of the year, although we are seeing more sam ples from mid-summer into fall. It is important to note that not all t he symptoms may be evident in any one colony at a given time. Parasiti c mite syndrome is more likely to be associated with colonies that are infested with V. jacobsoni than A. woodi. Judging from the large numb ers of affected individuals, the syndrome most likely is caused by a c ommunicable agent. The purpose of this report is to heighten the aware ness to this syndrome and to report our observations. It is our desire that this report will encourage others who have made similar observat ions, to share their knowledge so we can identify the possible causes.