> "but it's not clear why the removal of a small amount of hemolymph would have this effect".
> 


> Meanwhile, if someone decides to chew up my liver, their also getting a few ml of blood may be a fact, but perhaps not an important one, all things considered.
> 

I share Peter's sentiment on this point.

Back in college, I remember my lab TA for patho and diagnostic micro noting that our injecting mice with a standard syringe, "was equivalent to someone sticking you with a telephone pole." I later thought this was moronic, as cell size was the same for both mice and humans and you were just slipping the needle between those cells. However, having the regular pleasure of removing ticks from my person, I note that the relative difference in scale is significant when you're comparing this to varroa and bees. To be representative in scale, those ticks would be football size on a human, and the amount of fluid drained would not be insubstantial.

(Relative) size matters, I think.

S

Skillman, NJ

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