Bee Folks,

Here is a possible dissertation topic for a bee-graduate student.

According to my limited observation and consequent sweeping
generalization, a pathogen in nature seems to go through certain phases,
especially when it crosses its geographical boundaries: initial
introduction, saturation, devastation, equilibrium, and possible future
outbreaks in pockets.

Given that almost all bee-related diseases coexist in the original host
species, Apis cerana, for instance, and that it is in the best interest
for the mites not to kill every colony in the world, thus jeopardizing
their own survival—-I would like to entertain that our resilient bees
should be able to take care of themselves once they had persevered the
initial onslaught of both mites, the baptism-of-fire devastation phase
which they now *seemed* to have passed.

They may have already crossed the River Styx, especially in the American
South.  Similarly, there are certain populations among us who will, for
example, not get infected with AIDS, though exposed to fully, thanks to
their unique genetic makeup.  Couldn’t there be, then, feral stocks that
have already established a sense of equilibrium with mites and now some
undergoing against SHB, as well?  It appears not all feral colonies died
off--granted they are reduced and rare.  It is not in the best interest
for the SHB’s to wipe out its host, either, a suicidal gesture, indeed,
given that they do coexist in Africa whence they came.  What they want is
equilibrium, not a total wipeout.

The initial defenselessness against foreign mites or SHB among EHB
colonies appears to be the direct result from their never having been
exposed to both; hence, they hadn’t got a clue as to what to do.  However,
given time, the bees will probably come up with a strategy to battle
against both: they got to learn to live with otherwise they will perish.
Life is resilient and adaptable. (So far, SHB’s don’t seem to bother bees
in non-tropical areas beyond Florida, whose climate perhaps is similar to
their place of origin)

The microbial crossing of geographical borders appears to analogous to
what had happened to the indigenous American population at the onset of
European exploration: they died right and left because they had never been
exposed to European microbes, mostly gonorrhea and syphilis, just as Asian
mites killed off the EHB colonies that had been isolated in a virgin
territory.  (Some Spaniards, it is interesting to note, did get sick, but
thanks to their previous acclimatization in European microbes, they got
better much sooner than the Indians who died helplessly—-one major factor
for them to quickly convert to Christianity, realizing their voodoo-god
did not help much!)

Untreated colonies, I understand, will perish in two years or so; however,
the experiment of non-treatment, in my view, merits a periodical
verification, especially for those non-commercial beekeepers.  I would
like to hear from those who have not treated for a while.

Tempus Tacendi [time to shut up]

Humdinger,

from People’s Republic of Oklahoma