Unwelcome Guests- Meet the New Buzz-Killing Phorid Fly Pest

Hey Bee Buddies! 🌸 Guess what’s buzzing in the bee world? There’s a new kid on the block causing a bit of a buzz—literally.

Meet the A. borealis phorid fly, a native troublemaker that’s decided to switch its loyalties from bumble bees to honeybees. Not the kind of friendship we were hoping for, right?

-This is an A. borealis phorid fly female, depositing eggs into a worker honey bee. Photo by Christopher Quock.

Now, here’s where it gets weird. These sly phorid flies lay their eggs inside honeybee workers, and the larvae mess with the bees’ minds. Imagine having uninvited guests rearranging your plans! The larvae divert worker bees away from their hives, thanks to some night lighting magic.

Could this fly be a sneaky player in some forms of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)?

Enter John Hafernik, the biology professor who cracked the case on this fly fiasco. If you’re curious about the nitty-gritty details, check out the entire research article here. It’s a wild ride of discovery!

Now, this is no ordinary infestation. If honeybees are acting strange and seem to have extra passengers (in the form of phorid fly larvae), it’s something we can’t just brush off. But hey, sometimes we only see what we’re actively looking for. Kudos to those who look at things differently and discover what others might miss.

I recall spotting a few peculiar phorid flies inside a beehive about six years back. They might not have been the same troublemakers, given the zillion varieties of phorid flies out there. Still, they caught my attention as something unique within the hive.

Fast forward to a couple of years ago when I noticed honeybees doing a midnight dance around our house screens. Odd, right? Well, it turns out these were infected honeybees drawn to light. Aha moment!

Let’s hope this phorid fly phenomenon is a one-time showstopper! However, it might be a good idea to take the author’s advice and set up a light to check for any unexpected guests buzzing around. 🦸‍♀️🍯

-Stay vigilant, bee heroes, D 🦟🍯