>   I cannot see that bees could have such a mechanism as their lives are
> too short.  So what mechanism do you imagine they could be bred for that
> would allow them to resist viruses?
>

There was a recent study on queens and how they passed on "resistance"
based on what they were confronted with. The synopsis-

   - Queen bee is fed 'royal jelly' made from pollen collected by worker
   bees
   - This jelly sometimes contains pathogens and bacteria from environment
   - The queen digests the bacteria and stores it in an organ similar to a
   liver
   - Pieces of bacteria are bound to a protein and delivered to eggs via
   blood
   - When the bees hatch they are vaccinated against the pathogens present
   in the environment

Bill Truesdell

Bath, Maine

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