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