Insect and Spider Identification: CLOSED: I think this Bombus terrestris is infected with parasites.., 1 by bonitin

bonitin wrote:
I had found out what kind of smoke beekeepers use to sedate bees temporarily, it can be anything organic from half decayed wood to pine needles. I tried out the smoke of Rosmarinus officinale, but was too afraid it would suffocate, although I saw one mite jumping off the bee.

I tried some times to take them off with a thin stick but didn’t manage., getting nervous with trembling hands, not ideal for doing such a delicate job.
I would be no good as a nurse, lol!




A big sigh of relieve…..
I was getting desperate,lol.

I was so lucky my friend who has nerves of steel, offered to do it, she held the bee gently but firm between two fingers and has been combing off all the mites.
She didn’t use a thin stick but made a comb of a piece of electricity wire, flattened out the fine copper threads into a comb and cut the ends evenly and then gently combed the bee. The mites were trying to run away in panic, trying to hide. It took a long time to get rid of them all, but now I believe its mite-free. I’ll check again after it has dried from another bath.

I have cleaned the little greenhouse, because of the mite I saw jumping, threw all its content in a bucket of water and gave it a treat with the garden hose.

Now the poor Queen is back in there with fresh material and a fresh dish of honey water. It looks exhausted and would be best left in peace to recover from the stress…

This is the tool she made and used;