- hives
Urticaria (hives) on a person, who is having a systematic reaction to a bee sting. This can be a prelude to an anaphylactic response, which can be fatal if not treated immediately. - hyacinth1
A European bee (Apis mellifera) foraging on hyacinth (Hyacinthaceae). Beijing, China. March 2002. - bees_wasps
Bees or wasps? From left to right: A yellowjacket, a European paperwasp, a honey bee, and a bumble bee queen. - foulbrood
Spotty brood usually means the queen is old or there is brood disease. Sunken brood capping with holes suggest most likely American Foulbrood, which can be a serious disease if left to develop. In most states, the bacteria causing this disease (Paenibacillus larvae) has become resistant to oxytetracycline (Terramycin). New medications (lincomycin and tylosin) are being applied for bee use. Photo by Zachary Huang. - head
Front view of a worker's head. Notice the hairs on top of the head, and also on the compound eyes. - varroa1
No, this is NOT a staged picture! Last October some colonies were dying and being robbed. On close inspection they were having very severe cases of PMS (parasitic mite syndrome). Very few brood cells were left and when I opened these cells, some had more than 20 mites per cell! This one had like 12 mites just near the top. Most of the time the larvae were already dead inside cells (this one looks alive). MSU apiary. Oct 14, 2002. - sting1
The exuded sting with a small drop of venum on it. - varroa2
Another larva with 5 varroa mites on one side, I am sure a few ran away... You can tell that the larva was dead by its abnormal coloration. MSU apiary. Oct 14, 2002. - beeclose
A typical 'Italian' bee (Apis mellifera ligustica) busy making honey. - mandibles
Two mandibles with the tongue in the middle. - DSCN8835
Roadside honey sale, and a few jars of pollen. This is in a apiary next to the rubber tree forest. Beekeepers live in a tent (3-4 of them) and complained of bordom because they have no where to go at night, no electricity, no TV, no villages closeby. This place is about 20 miles from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, where I stayed for a month last year. Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China. March 28, 2002. - pupalmite_s
Varroa mites (Varroa destructor) on a drone pupa that was removed from its cell. - two_cappings
two-cappings.jpg - ocelli
Top view of the head showing the three ocelli, in a triangular formation. - twomites
A varroa mite (Varroa destructor) and a "lesser mite" (as is called in China), Tropilaelaps clarae, side by side. Tropilaelaps jumped host from A. dorsata to A. mellifera in Asia. Hopefully it will never make its way to North America because in southern China it is sometimes more serious than varroa.