> From:    Torbjorn Schultz <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: varroa questions
>
> Hi Garth, Perhaps you can help me with some of my questions, which I sent=
>  away  to the conference a few days ago?
> Do yu know of any promising research and results according:
> methods to use feromons to trap and reduce the varroa mites?
> methods to use "natural enemies" and diseases against the mites?
> breeding varroa resistent bees?
 
 
Hi Torbjorn and All
 
I actually know very little about varroa, but posted some stuff
about cell size in reponse to a post by David Eyre from Ontario. He
mentioned that some research has been done in Arizona keeping
European honey bees in african dimension honeycombs (smaller cell
size).
 
A nuumber of interesting replies have come back so far, including one
by Dr Rodriguez who has done much research on varroa and observed the
mites in action. He mentions that the main time of infection is when
infected bees enter cells to provision. He also mentioned that he
does not see any merit in the system with present information, but
that further info would be interesting - does anybody have access to
this info?
 
Today David Eyre (sorry if I spelt this wrong - I am using  an old
copy of pegasus as today so cannot check spelling from Bee-L)
mentioned he was surprised that the brood cycle could be speeded up
by decreasing cell size and that he had thought this would be under
genetic control.
 
So as far as I uunderstand it, the size of a bee is due to the amount
of provisions (excuse grammar there) a bee cell can contain. Hence a
larger cell will contain more provisions hence the fact it will
produce a larger bee. I think the size of the genome of all bees is
the same, which means that each cell division takes roughly the same
time for all bees, so hence a big bee has more cells so it must stay
in the cell for longer. This statement is neatly suported by the
speed at which drones grow. (is it 11 or 14 days? Can't remember) but
a drone has half the genetic material, therefore it can have it's
cells diividing really fast to produce a big animal. Likewise a
queen which is the same size, but has twice the genetic code
(diploid) takes a few days longer to get that big.
 
On the topic of little helpers in the hives eating the mites, I have
a personal theory that the reason that varroa is not a problem in
africa is because of all the little symbionts found in the hives. I
have no background to make such a statement, except that I know
varroa has been found in south africa and that hives that I have that
have a large population of bee lice also have a high population of
hive pseudoscorpions. (closes thing in shape to varroa that I
have seen)Pictures of these pseudoscorpions will be put on my web
page. They are really cute little creatures wiith huge pincers. The
first time I saw them I though my hives had ticks - but a kind word
from somebody that knew told me they were hive pseudoscorpions, that
apparently do nothing in the hives. That does not explain why my
healthiest hives have in excess of a hundred of these in the bottom,
and why putting a little patch of sand in the bottom of a weak hive
and some of the scorpions seems to improve it's health. (Maybe the
fact I like the pseudoscorpions is because of my birthdate in early
november or maybe because of observer bias, ormaybe there is
something in it?)
 
Anyhow, that is what I know.
 
Keep well
 
Garth
---
Garth Cambray       Kamdini Apiaries
15 Park Road        Apis melifera capensis
Grahamstown         800mm annual precipitation
6139
Eastern Cape
South Africa               Phone 27-0461-311663
 
3rd year Biochemistry/Microbiology    Rhodes University
In general, generalisations are bad.
Interests: Flii's and Bees.