Beelouse, Braula Coeca Nitzsch

The beelouse, Braula coeca Nitzsch 1818 (fig. 1), is a tiny commensalate wingless fly found in colonies of the honey bee, Apis mellifera Linnaeus, where it lives on the bodies of the bees and literally steals its food out of the mouth of its host. As many as 187 beelice have been reported on a single bee queen. The beelouse was first mentioned in European literature in 1740 by Reaumur, who discussed its relation to the honey bee. Skaife (1921) and Argo (1927) described fairly completely the life cycle of the insect, while Arnhart (1923) found the mines and dried out larval skins under honey cappings. The beelouse is found on worker, drone, and queen honey bees (Smith 1978). It probably was first introduced into the United States from Europe along with the first shipments of honey bees. Some writers have stated that the beelouse causes little or no harm to bee colonies, but most investigators think that Braula is harmful. Most beekeepers practice mechanical control unknowingly by extracting honey because the Braula larvae are eliminated while removing cappings before extraction. Chemical control measures have been developed in Europe and Asia, where the beelouse is much more common than in North America, but no pesticide has been registered for use against the beelouse in the United States. Because of the frequent movement of large numbers of bee colonies throughout much of the United Stated, there probably is little that can be done to prevent the spread of the bee louse, and its control may be accomplished through mechanical practices of the beekeepers. However, Florida beekeepers should be alert to the occurrence of the beelouse.