In a message dated 03/10/2007 22:33:04 GMT Standard Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

Workers  have numerous defences against
disease, including an innate immune system  and behaviors in which some
workers seek out disease brood and remove it  from the colony. 


The brood nest is warm, moist, and full of food of the sort that makes the  
hive environment particularly suitable for micro bugs of all sorts.  And  yet 
the genome shows that the honeybee immune system has less genetic input than  
in the few other insects studied so far.  From this one would expect  honeybee 
colonies to be riddled with diseases far more than they usually  are.
 
Why are they normally so disease free?  One possible answer is they  they are 
'borrowing' the immune systems of the plants they forage on, especially  for 
propolis which is known to have anti viral and anti bacterial properties.  
Could it be that one of the factors pre-disposing colonies to collapse might be  
shortage of propolis?  This might be because they are in an agricultural  
environment where little is available; they have been bred selectively not to  
collect it; they are kept in such numbers that there isn't enough of the right  
quality (whatever that is) to go around.
 
Has the amount and quality of propolis found in CCD hives been compared  with 
those that appear to be healthy?
 
Chris



   

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