is this a cross or varroa mite

First pic is of last years bees and rest are today's pics. What I noticed today is that these where all exactly on the tail of every bee that flew into the hive. My first reaction was its some sort of a cross with another strain of bee but now looking at the pics in my phone, and from some on the net, I'm thinking its varroa mite thou to me, if it is, its strange why they are all on the tip of the bees body in exact same place or is it something to do with spring bees. What yous think?

Nasanov gland.

Hivemaker. said:

Nasanov gland.

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Hi irishguy,
Orientation flights going on as new bees are getting ready to forage. The fanning is to make sure that they find their way back into hive.
Can also be a sign of swarming, or fanning to encourage virgin back from mating flight, a bit early for that though, but worth knowing.

This is what a Varroa mite on a bee looks like .... one of the best photos of this I've seen anywhere. It's the little brown thing on the bees back ... this is where you would normally find them.

pargyle said:

This is what a Varroa mite on a bee looks like .... one of the best photos of this I've seen anywhere. It's the little brown thing on the bees back ... this is where you would normally find them.

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I normally find them dead on the inspection cover!

Yeghes da

2 years on the forum, 650 posts and you still don't know a Nasenov gland from a varroa mite!!

Did you ever bother doing a beginners course or read a book on beekeeping?

or using google?

irishguy said:

My first reaction was its some sort of a cross

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Only Buckfast bees carry crosses

Torq said:

2 years on the forum, 650 posts and you still don't know a Nasenov gland from a varroa mite!!

Did you ever bother doing a beginners course or read a book on beekeeping?

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The bloke has come here with a question. He got a simple answer and hopefully learned something new. I suggest dropping the antagonism is in order.
He got off to a bad start and unfortunately took notice of local "expert advice" which was anything but. Given time and patience he could become a beekeeper yet

Gilberdyke John said:

The bloke has come here with a question. He got a simple answer and hopefully learned something new. I suggest dropping the antagonism is in order.
He got off to a bad start and unfortunately took notice of local "expert advice" which was anything but. Given time and patience he could become a beekeeper yet

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A second year bee keeper should not have to ask a question like this. And my question about doing a course or reading a book is not antagonistic, it is genuine, he needs help and education! This year will be one disaster after another for him which we will all get to read about on this forum.

Not to know what a varroa mite looks like is unforgiveable in modern beekeeping. How are you to inspect for them if you don't know what one looks like. In the very first post of this thread http://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=30150&highlight=varroa
he states that he "hasn't come across it in any of his hives" We may now know the reason why.

Torq said:

A second year bee keeper should not have to ask a question like this.

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Perhaps if people helped him out with relevant information, he might learn rather than becoming the butt of other peoples jokes.

The information you require is here: http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageid=93

I like to think of things like this as brain farts.
IG you crack me up lol

I mean no offense IG

B+. said:

Perhaps if people helped him out with relevant information, he might learn rather than becoming the butt of other peoples jokes.

The information you require is here: http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageid=93

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you obviously haven't written off a few hours of your life to read the 'what would you do' thread

jenkinsbrynmair said:

you obviously haven't written off a few hours of your life to read the 'what would you do' thread

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Funny you should mention that......no, I haven't. Each time I start to look through it, I lose the will to carry on

How do you think we feel?

Torq said:

2 years on the forum, 650 posts and you still don't know a Nasenov gland from a varroa mite!!

Did you ever bother doing a beginners course or read a book on beekeeping?

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Listen you, its very easy to get bit confused by looking at them pics and pics of varroa on the net if one is still a newbie. Its not like I study this carry-on day in day out, I've a life to live and kids to rear and other stuff going in, this beekeeping is justba hobby for now. Yes I'm a 2nd year beek, first year was a fecked up roller coaster year as usually happens in bee keeping. As for the beginner's course, load a sh1te it was and very easy to forget what it says in the books with so much going on in the hives. People like you just like to have digs at a few simple feckers like myself when just starting out to make yourself feel important, something I'd never do myself.

As for the nasenov gland, when watching the bees flying in and out, I didn't really get the chance to have a proper look because they went into the hive quickly, thou thought I'd get a snap or two and check later. The last pics resembled varroa to me!, so i thought best to pop on here to check my worries. Yes there would be plenty on here who'd know it straight off, I wasn't one of them but in future, why dont you just stick contributing positively to the forum instead of getting cheap shots in. For the record, I could just picture you in the school play ground, you people never change! Hail Hail

beeno said:

Hi irishguy,
Orientation flights going on as new bees are getting ready to forage. The fanning is to make sure that they find their way back into hive.
Can also be a sign of swarming, or fanning to encourage virgin back from mating flight, a bit early for that though, but worth knowing.

Click to expand...

pargyle said:

This is what a Varroa mite on a bee looks like .... one of the best photos of this I've seen anywhere. It's the little brown thing on the bees back ... this is where you would normally find them.

Click to expand...

Gilberdyke John said:

The bloke has come here with a question. He got a simple answer and hopefully learned something new. I suggest dropping the antagonism is in order.
He got off to a bad start and unfortunately took notice of local "expert advice" which was anything but. Given time and patience he could become a beekeeper yet

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Irishguy i'm new to beekeeping too and have been keeping an eye on this website for the last while in the hope i might learn something and be able to ask questions in the future. Anyone that asks a question on a forum deserves to be treated with respect and not ridiculed and told to go elsewhere which is what i am likely to do now. Best of luck this season with the bees.

Fiona 1 said:

Irishguy i'm new to beekeeping too and have been keeping an eye on this website for the last while in the hope i might learn something and be able to ask questions in the future. Anyone that asks a question on a forum deserves to be treated with respect and not ridiculed and told to go elsewhere which is what i am likely to do now. Best of luck this season with the bees.

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Don't leave .. you will learn a lot on here and there's a lot of helpful and very knowledgeable people as well as a few grumpy old b...ggers.

Stick to the beginners section if you want gentle answers to your questions as there are some rules over there about playing nicely ... it can be a bit knockabout at times elsewhere - but, hey, it's a forum .. I see much worse in some other internet forums than I see here.