@article {40375,
	title = {The relation between colony size, breeding density and ectoparasite loads of adult European bee-eaters (Merops apiaster)},
	journal = {Ecoscience},
	volume = {5},
	year = {1998},
	month = {1998},
	pages = {156 - 163},
	abstract = {<p>The numbers of chewing lice were determined for adult bee- eaters and related to different measures of breeding density. Bee-eaters are infested by three species of chewing lice (Meropoecus meropis, Meromenopon meropis and Brueelia apiastri). Meropoecus meropis is the most common species and 94\% of all adult bee-eaters were infested. This species also shows a significant variation between colonies. namely, infestation rate increases with colony size. Using different measures to describe colony size, a stepwise regression analysis showed that inter-nest distance is the best predictor for ectoparasite load. Average-infestation rate per individual decreased significantly with increasing inter-nest distance. This relationship was even more pronounced for the maximum number of parasites found within a colony and with the variation in parasite load among members of a colony (controlling for number of breeding pairs). There was no difference in ectoparasite load between the sexes and no general patterns related to the position of the breeding site within the colony.</p>
},
	keywords = {barn, bee eaters, Behavior, biology, Chewing lice, coloniality, colony, cost, ecology, ectoparasite, Europe, fitness, host, lice, load, mechanism, parasite, populations, reproduction, size, swallow},
	url = {http://www.jstor.org/stable/42902364?seq=1$\#$page_scan_tab_contents},
	author = {Hoi,H. and Darolov{\'a},A. and Konig,C. and Kri{\v s}tof{\'\i}k,J{\'a}n}
}
@article {40255,
	title = {Ectoparasites of bee-eater (Merops apiaster) and arthropods in its nests},
	journal = {Biol{\'o}gia},
	volume = {51},
	year = {1996},
	month = {1996},
	pages = {557 - 570},
	abstract = {<p>We studied the abundance of ectoparasites of young and adult bee-eaters and the arthropod fauna in their nests. The feather lice Meropoecus meropis and Meromenopon meropis were found on both adult and young bee-eaters while chicks were additionally parasitized by the fly Carnus hemapterus. The distribution of these parasites was characterized by a descending logarithmic curve. The nest fauna consisted mostly of parasitic mites and predaceous beetles. Mites were represented by a large number of Androlaelaps casalis, a facultative ectoparasite of birds. On the contrary, the blood-sucking mites Dermanyssus hirundinis, D. gallinae and Ornithonyssus sylviarum were little numerous and the occurrence of other mites was only occasional. Beetles were represented by a large number of the nidicolous staphylinide Haploglossa nidicola which was accompanied by a low number of the nidicolous histeride Gnathoncus buyssoni. Occurrence of H. nidicola and A. casalis was moderately positively correlated. Large numbers of Dermestes spp. larvae occurred in the nests, too. Other beetle species occurred occasionally in the nest holes. Ticks and fleas occurred sporadically and were probably introduced by adult birds. They did not develop there. On the contrary, some flies, whose larvae had suitable conditions, developed in some nests. Spiders, pseudoscorpions and bugs were recorded only in a small number of species and individuals.</p>
},
	keywords = {apiaster, bee eater, Beetles, Diptera, feather, fleas, flies, lice, Merops, mesostigmatic, mites, nests, populations, pseudoscorpions, Slovakia, South, spiders, ticks},
	author = {Kri{\v s}tof{\'\i}k,J{\'a}n and Masan,P. and Sustek,Z.}
}
