Look Inside

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You won't believe all the strange (and sometimes pretty nasty) things you'll find when you open a cocoon that's been invaded by mites, parasitic wasps and other bee predators.  Some scenes might not be suitable for younger viewers:  ;-)

  • Two of the cells started hatching as I photographed them. See the legs? Ewww.
  • These native bees use leaves instead of mud, and pollinate all summer long.
  • Note how round the loose leaf pieces in the center are. Such precision!
  • They died of chalk brood, but not the type that threatens honey bees.
  • All the juicy guts had been eaten, leaving this mass of dry wings and body parts
  • These might also be beetle larvae. Any one out there know?
  • Clumps of OMB cocoons floating in an oval pail of water as they're being washed.
  • These Chalcid wasp larvae have survived by eating the OMB larva.
  • The center chamber is teeming with - gross - Hairy-fingered Mites.
  • This larva was killed by spores of Chalkbrood fungi.
  • Straw insert chambers filled with healthy OMB cocoons.
  • Chalcid wasps eat [the bee larva] and run [by chewing through the paper liner].
  • Chalcid wasps have invaded these straws and eaten their way out.
  • These Cuckoo Bees eat the OMB provisions, but not the bee larva itself.
  • Too much trapped moisture can result in mold, mildew, and dead bees.
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