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Braula, the bee louse is a wingless fly. The adults are
small (slightly smaller than the head of a dressmaking pin), reddish
brown in color. The colouration and size is similar to the varroa
mite however braula have six legs, while varroa have eight legs.
While several adults are often seen on a queen, usually only one
will be found per worker.
These do little harm to the bees, but the larvae disfigure
comb by burrowing through cappings. They are not parasitic, they
merely steal food from the worker bees.
With the advent of varroa and the treatments that are
dispensed to deal with it, braula is much reduced as it succumbs to
most miticides.
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