On Tue, 23 Jul 1996, Dan Mihalyfi wrote:
> I have a question for the entomologists...
> In the Earth Almanac department of the April, 1996 National
> Geographic, there is a blurb about bees in Japan that use heat defense
> against giant hornats. I've also read of these bees in other bee
> literature
> My question is...
> Are these bees a race of Apis millifera or a member of one of the
> other four species of honey bee?
> I can't find any clues in the Hive And The Honey Bee.
> >From the picture in the article, they sure look like honey bees.
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Reply:
        If I am recalling the same blurb, the bees "balled" around the
hornet and raised the internal temp of the ball such that it would kill
the hornet. Is this the same to which you were referring? If so I also
think that this was the A.cerana as well.
        This also makes me question this thermoregulatory behavior as a
means for them to tolerate Varroa. I have a question or two for the experts.
??????
What is the brood rearing temperature for A.cerana?
What is the upper range of tolerance of temp/time for the Varroa? w/o host?
Is the accepted beleif of the A.cerana tolerance to Varroa their grooming
behavior?
How does the distribution of drones/workers differ from A. mellifera?
??????
Regards, Maynard
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