March 2012 - Amazing Bees - Beekeepers from Melbourne Australia

Feature of the month

Sharing some of our joys, highlights and worries of beekeeping ...

March 2012 - Nectar and Pollen not only for Bees.

Already back in January we did notice many thousands of small beetles around our beehives in Belgrave, clinging to tree branches in layers, similar to a swarm of bees. Some hive lids were covered by them and we had to brush them off to be able to remove the lid. We had never seen so many beetles before, it probably has to do with the regular rainfall we have had throughout the year. About two or three weeks later most of them had disappeared. The beetles are slim shaped and are about one centimeter long, their appearance is black and amber with a soft body; an amber body and neck with black wings and a black head.

When early in March a large gum tree in our neighbour's backyard started flowering the same kind of beetles also appeared in our backyard by the thousands and we did some research to figure out what kind of beetle we are dealing with - turns out to be the Plague Soldier Beetle Chauliognathus lugubris

These beetles are visiting the same flowers our bees are collecting pollen and nectar from, mainly in the large gum tree - so there is less for our bees, but not to worry there seems to be plenty of pollen and nectar coming from that tree.

What appears to occupy the beetles the most though is mating. Among those layers of beetles clinging onto plants and other objects most of them are copulating.

Australia buried under a plague of soldier beetles? Jan 16th, 2012 by myrmecos.

Museum Victoria about Plague Soldier Beetles