Parasitic Phorid Fly Discovery

[rjoki]

I got a note from Ramish Sagili confirming what I suspected regarding the Phorid Fly (Zombee Fly) found in my Portland hive.

Ramish said that the fly has been killing Oregon Bumblebees and Paper Wasps for some time, but is just now being discovered in Honey Bee populations. Ramish has now set up his own light traps to beging to quantify the prevalence and intensity of the Phorid Fly in Oregon populations. Ramish has now sucessfully trapped, pupated, and emerged flies from some early samples. He was excited about my Portland discovery, and preliminarily confirmed my findings based on my photos.

Although Ramish feels that the Zombee may not be the sole cause of Colony Collapse, he is also turning to it as a possible contributor - as he is convinced that the parasite does damage in the hive population -- and that is undoubtedly why he is now studying it's intensity within our hives. His study will in time, let us know the level of concern we must give this parasite, as no treatment or cure is currently available.

At this point, it is unclear if the impact is limited to infected bees simply leaving the hive and not returning, or if the fly is actually bringing other contributing pathogens into the hive as well.

My own Zombee sample has been submitted to John Hafernik at SanFrancisco State University for recording within his national study. John was the first biologist to discover that the widely distributed parasitic fly had made the jump to Honey Bees as a host, and noting that the symptoms mirrored that of Colony Collapse (adult bees leaving the hive and not returning), he began the nation-wide study known as "Zombee Watch".

The combination of a parasite, pathogens and other stressors could cause die-off, lead investigator John Hafernik said. The parasitic fly serves as a reservoir that harbors pathogens — honey bees from parasite-infected hives tested positive for deformed wing virus and other pathogens, the study found. "We don't fully understand the web of interactions," Hafernik said. "The parasite could be another stressor, enough to push the bee over tipping point."

Here is the link to the studies abstract: www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0029639

If you would like to discover if your hive is also affected, you can make a light trap by following the directions on the Zombee Watch website: www.zombeewatch.org

In this case, turning off your lights at night will only keep YOU in the dark.

Attachments:

[kyle]

Kudos for being on the forefront of reporting this phenomenon in Oregon, rjoki. Thanks also for contacting Dr. Sagili about this. I will be mentioning my findings to him at some point also.

[rjoki]

Thanks Kyle -- Dr. Hafernik called me from San Francisco State to ask me to provide a steadier stream of oxygen to the chrysalis in order to get more to hatch. He recommended that we use panty-hose material rather than cheesecloth as he said these flies are "sneaky", and could escape through the holes. He wasn't as keen on my idea of cracking the lid of the mason jar every day to let oxygen in.

My son, Tyler Joki is the Conservation Biologist for Columbia County Soil and Water Conservation District, and has offered to take over the handling of the samples as they are collected in order to guarantee proper collection proceedures. He has already contacted a few beekeepers in Columbia County and will be assisting them in setting up the light traps. Tyler said that there is a meeting of the three of four biologists from the various counties in our area in a week or so, and he will discuss setting up a coordinated effort to track the fly in our area.

Tyler will most likely work with Dr. Sagili and Dr.Hafernik directly to submit the samples in a well documented way.

I was suprised to learn from Dr. Hafernik that getting 14 chrysalis out of one bees head is close to a record as well -- lol --

It will be fun to get to know you while we work on this project together.

[drew]

Thanks for this bit of lovely news
No really though good job.

[rbz]

So this is the "Zombie Apocalypse" that the kids keep talking about that's coming? just kidding

Ona serious note...Well done! It just goes to show where one can find real information on successful beekeeping here in the Pacific North West.

[eastsidebuzz]

The end of the world is near. Wait for November 3 then there will be Zombies.

[honeybee]

Rjoki, I am a local beekeeper in Scappoose if you want to contact me for your son's workings. We have 17 hives. Best way to get in touch would be email, [e-mail] I could then give you a phone number. This all sounds really interesting to me. Always wondering about our bees and what is going on in the hive.

[rjoki]

Aug 27, 2012 13:34:07 GMT -7 honeybee said:

Rjoki, I am a local beekeeper in Scappoose if you want to contact me for your son's workings. We have 17 hives. Best way to get in touch would be email, [e-mail] I could then give you a phone number. This all sounds really interesting to me. Always wondering about our bees and what is going on in the hive.

Hi Honeybee -- Here is the contact info for Tyler:

Tyler Joki
Resource Conservationist
Columbia Couty Soil and Water Conservation District
35285 Millard Road
St. Helens, OR 97051

503-397-4555 ext.104
[e-mail]

www.linkedin.com/pub/tyler-joki/8/201/194

Give him a call or email, and he can help you set up some light traps and see what comes out - as well as set up a system to keep track of it all. Keep in mind, that if your bees do not have the parasitic fly, then that is important information too.

Tyler is a good guy, and a lot of fun to work with so you will enjoy your adventure in backyard science.

Robert

[honeybee]

Thanks Robert. I will get in touch with him.

[kyle]

Having escape proof aeration at the top of the container makes sense. I myself have wondered if the oxygen deprivation might hinder the pupae from hatching. But I proceeded with the air-tight containers, as the online tutorial mentioned nothing about this.

[rbz]

Aug 27, 2012 8:31:06 GMT -7 eastsidebuzz said:

The end of the world is near. Wait for November 3 then there will be Zombies.

Tee-Hee!

*it's a joke people*

[rjoki]

Aug 28, 2012 21:29:52 GMT -7 kyle said:

Having escape proof aeration at the top of the container makes sense. I myself have wondered if the oxygen deprivation might hinder the pupae from hatching. But I proceeded with the air-tight containers, as the online tutorial mentioned nothing about this.

The suggestion for oxygen came first from Ramish Sagili who suggested that I replace the mason jar lid with a couple of layers of cheesecloth. Dr. Hafernik also asked me to aerate the pupae, but after first suggesting cheesecloth, he decided that the pantyhose idea was probably a more secure way to make sure that any flies that hatch stay in the jar. So far, it looks like only one fly might have emerged then died. They are so small it's hard to tell. Interesting that it could take up to a month for the flies to hatch from the chrysalis, so patience is certainly part of this program.

[rjoki]

Aug 26, 2012 23:32:21 GMT -7 rbz said:

On a serious note...Well done! It just goes to show where one can find real information on successful beekeeping here in the Pacific North West.

Get ready for some questions from your friends and neighbors as I got this note yesterday about a pending press release regarding the fly's discovery in Oregon.

Dear Robert - Thanks for putting me in touch with Ramesh Sagili. We have now confirmed Apocephalus borealis in honey bees from the Oregon State University Apiary in Corvallis and will be putting out a news release announcing this new finding soon. Reporters are often interested in local connections. Since it’s very likely that you have also been finding A. borealis in your honey bees, I wondered if you would be willing to be interviewed by the media regarding your participation in ZomBee Watch. Let me know if this is something that would work for you. If not, no problem.
Best, John
John Hafernik - Professor of Biology, San Francisco State University
Trustee and President, California Academy of Sciences
Department of Biology
San Francisco State University

Like Rbz said -- this board is a great place to stay ahead on honeybee issues. The most important point to remember is that even if the actual impact results in a small percentage of direct losses, the possibility that the fly is also a carrier for virus and other pathogens is pretty real. It may not be the cause of CCD, but it certainly may end up as a contributor.

[kyle]

Hey Robert,

Dr. Hafernik sent me the message also about the confirmation at OSU.

The colony I managed this summer existed because of two clubs at Portland Community College's Rock Creek Campus. The hive and other equipment was purchased by the Biology and Environmental Science Student Association. The bees were purchased by the Beekeeping Club.

I am moving to Corvallis today to attend OSU, but a beekeeping student at PCC has expressed interest in leading the beekeeping club this academic year. I will give access to my notes, photos, and specimens to PCC students, so that they can continue to participate in this landmark study. I will also give them contact info of yourself and your son, if that is okay.

Kyle Robbins

[rjoki]

Sept 1, 2012 8:49:12 GMT -7 kyle said:

Hey Robert,

Dr. Hafernik sent me the message also about the confirmation at OSU.

The colony I managed this summer existed because of two clubs at Portland Community College's Rock Creek Campus. The hive and other equipment was purchased by the Biology and Environmental Science Student Association. The bees were purchased by the Beekeeping Club.

I am moving to Corvallis today to attend OSU, but a beekeeping student at PCC has expressed interest in leading the beekeeping club this academic year. I will give access to my notes, photos, and specimens to PCC students, so that they can continue to participate in this landmark study. I will also give them contact info of yourself and your son, if that is okay.

Kyle Robbins

Kyle - good luck with the move, and at OSU you will of course be at the epicenter of ccd research, so I hope you can stay involved. Feel free to pass along my contact info anytime to anyone that you wish.

Robert