Beewolf
Krankheiten
The beewolf Philanthus triangulum is a digger wasp that, despite its name, is neither related to bees nor a bee pest in the strict sense.
The beewolf Philanthus triangulum is a digger wasp that, despite its name, is neither related to bees nor a bee pest in the strict sense. It is about one and a half centimeters long, has a black-and-yellow patterned abdomen, and lives in sandy, warm, open habitats. The females dig brood tunnels there in the ground, often in large colonies.
The larvae are provisioned exclusively with honey bees. The female catches a forager at a flower, paralyzes her with a sting, and carries her into the brood tunnel, where she serves as provisions for a larva. This behavior becomes especially noticeable in high summer and in sandy areas with dense nesting colonies, when beekeepers observe foraging bees being caught in flight.
The beewolf usually does not cause economically significant damage. Honey bee colonies easily compensate for the loss of foragers, which is why the persecution and poisoning of this species, once common, is now considered outdated. The beewolf is part of the natural ecosystem and was rare in Central Europe for a long time before spreading again with warmer summers.
Anyone who nevertheless notices losses at the apiary should rely on management measures: avoiding locations directly next to large nesting colonies in open sandy areas, keeping strong colonies, and changing the apiary site if in doubt. Attempts at control with traps or poisons are neither proportionate nor effective.
The general protection of wild animals applies by law in Germany. Under Section 39 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (Bundesnaturschutzgesetz), it is prohibited to catch, injure, or kill wild animals without good reason, or to damage their breeding sites without good reason. A mere suspicion of bee losses does not constitute such a reason. Nesting colonies at or near the apiary should therefore be left undisturbed.