> Subject: Re: pseudoscorpions vs. mites
 
   Kerry Clark wrote:
 
>   Pseudoscorpions DO occur in North America. If you look really close
>   at   them, they might startle you and cause alarm with a claws-up pose
>   (like    a threatened crab, but about 3 mm or less than 1/4 inch long). An
 
 
>   I can't imagine how they could have relevance to Varroa control,
>   except    perhaps they might be one of the predators that could clean up any
 
 
I posted the original post. The pseudoscorpions I referred to are if
my  memory serves me correctly two distinct species. Both have one
overdeveloped pincer arm which they use to latch onto bees as a form
of parasitic transport. They then drop of and eat something, which is
at present not known.
 
Saying that there are pseudoscorpions in america and that they do not
possibly represent a way of treating varroa is a bit like saying that
flies are bad bees. There are probably thousands of pseudoscorpion
species which will naturally live in a huge range of environments. In
our case we have two which live in bee hives and eat something that
is not known. Due to speciation and so on, they are not the same as
the north american pseudoscorpions you will find under rocks and so
on. These live in african bee hives.
 
No they are not velvet mites. In a few weeks I will have a scanned
photograph of these little guys on my african bee web page(under
construction).
 
Keep well
 
Garth
---
Garth Cambray       "Opinions expressed in this post may be those
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In general, generalisations are bad.
But don't worry BEEEEEE happy.