From: Peter L Borst <[log in to unmask]>

>The whole concept of inheritance has been turned on its head, now encompassing not only genetic inheritance, but the inheritance of a variety of substances -- organisms, as well as culturally transmitted information.

...thought I would repost the following.  We've had a few inquiries about No Bee Is An Island recently, and in this short follow up, we do talk about the heritability of the microbial culture.

http://www.beeuntoothers.com/index.php/beekeeping/articles/70-pollen-fermentation
Date:Fri, 7 Nov 2008 05:44:12 GMT
Reply-To:Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology
Sender:[log in to unmask]
From:[log in to unmask]" 
Subject:Re: healthier colonies


we see where we got things wrong in "No Bee Is An Island".  it isn't that the 
pollen grain needs to ferment in order to just "pop open"...it is the 
progression of many fermentation processes, each setting the stage for the next, that 
produces necessary substances for the other microbes, and for the bees.  think of the 
fermentation of pollen as a tree rotting in the forest...there is a progression of bugs 
living underneath it, a few tunneling inside, molds and fungi, sow bugs, centipedes.....

the exact makeup of this culture of microorganisms is a heritable thing...perhaps more so 
than the genetics of the bees, and perhaps more important.  antibiotics, pesticides, and 
other treatments that disrupt the microbial balance (which seems to include sugar as a 
winter feed) will, over time, erode the diversity and functionality of this culture.

the key (regardless of cell size) is not so much to breed a varroa (or nosema) resistant 
bee, but to allow the bees to build up their microbial culture without interference.  
keeping the bees alive long enough for this to happen is the trick....and perhaps that's 
what sc has to offer...perhaps it's a red herring, but we are both convinced that the 
microbes are the key.  we think that sc might well give a  head start (our experience 
suggests this).

it may be that in some areas, some of the essential microbes have become extinct and/or 
rare due to the impacts of varroa, tracheal mite, and beekeeper practices...perhaps this 
points to why some have success and other failure.  it's more than likely that these 
microbial cultures have some things in common, and some are localized.

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