Hello to the bee listers. I have been reading with interest the current
thread about getting beekeepers involved with scientists.  As a bee
researcher working on developing and IPM program to manage (note I did not
say control) both mites, I am very interested to hear your observations as
I make mine.
 
I am currently also re-writing my Beekeeper's Handbook, now 10 years out of
date and out of print.  While doing some background reading, I can across
the following observations by Dr. Rob Page that summarize a lot of what has
been regarded as bee resistant mechanisms to varroa.  Note this does not
include tracheal mites and I feel that breeding a bee resistant (tolerant)
to both will never be achieved. However, here is my two cents worth.
 
Known Mechanisms for Bee Resistance to Varroa
: Hygienic behavior: bees open cells with mites, remove infested brood.
: Grooming behaviors: bees remove mites from each other, killing the mites
with their mandibles.
: Length of capping stage for bees: bees pupate in fewer days; the more
time pupae are in the cells, the more time mites have to develop.
: Brood attractiveness: so far, Euopean bee brood is highly attractive to
varroa, with the exception of the German Black Bee (A. m. mellifera) and
the African bee.
 
The mechanisms for resistance to tracheal mites are not known at present.
But please remember that if you start breeding mite-resistant bees you will
also be breeding the mites: they will never go away.
 
On the recent thread of fumigillin, I just talked to Joli Winer at Mid-Con
and here's the poop-
 
"The drug used to control nosema disease is Bicyclohexylammonium
=46umagillin, sold as Nosem-X and Fumidil-B=AE and should be used in syrup (=
not
in powdered or patty form); is sold by beekeeping suppliers.  This material
is viable for 2 years which can be extended if unopened bottles are stored
in the freezer.  Research has shown that spring feeding of fumagillin to
established colonies can increase honey production by about 58%.  To
dissolve the powder thoroughly, mix it with warm water first in a small
jar,  let stand for  5 min, then shake until it is foamy.  Alternately, you
can mix the powder with some dry sugar, then mix it into the warm water.
It is fed in this formulation of 75-100 mg fumagillin per gallon of sugar
syrup:
  Syrup:
- 2 teaspoons added to 4 oz. (1/2 Cup) warm water 95=B0F  (35=B0C) and mixed=
 in
two gallons of 2:1 (sugar:water) syrup. This feeds ONE COLONY, delivering
the correct amount of the medication. Proper dosage, especially for bees
confined for long periods to time, is 2 gallons medicated syrup per hive.
- 9.5 gams make up 100-120 gallons of medicated syrup for feeding 100-120
package colonies (spring) or fall feeding for 50-60 colonies; 371 lbs.
sugar in 186 lbs. (23 gallons) water =3D 50 gallons 2:1 syrup.
 
Nosema can be a serious disease if not checked.  Since it is often confused
with symptoms of other diseases and mite predation, diagnosis is important
to treat for nosema properly.  Some effects of severe nosema are:
-  Reduced longevity of workers (by 50 percent).
-  Reduced honey yield (by 40 percent).
-  Queen supersedure as egg-laying in queen is adversely affected.
-  Hypopharangeal (food) glands of workers are affected and poor brood
rearing ability will result, since the nurse bees are unable to produce
enough brood food.
-  Hormonal development is disrupted, causing bees to age faster and forage
earlier in life than normal.
-  Secretion of digestive enzymes is disrupted, causing bees to starve to
death."
from Beekeeper's Handbook, Sammataro & Avitabile, Third Edition.
 
 
Diana Sammataro, Ph.D.
The Ohio State University, OARDC/ Dept. Entomology
Extension Bee Laboratory, 1680 Madison Avenue
Wooster, OH 44691
Phone: (216) 263 3684  Fax: (216) 262 2720
Email: [log in to unmask]