Hello Dee & All,
"short lived & long lived varroa mite"
Surely an interesting hypothesis but not one Denis Anderson or those doing
current varroa mite research seem to be buying into.
The hypothesis has come up but those running one sticky board test after
another find those varroa simply on the sticky board.
However the canabilistic hypothesis of my friends Marla Spivak and Dr.
Harbo offer another explanation. The hygienic bees are munching those
missing varroa ( and pupa).
Its not hard for me to understand the concept of winter & summer bees as we
all know the queen can live many years by a special diet.
No proof exists (or that I am aware of) which suggests all varroa do not
feed on the same food source.
I guess my question is :
What (in your opinion) creates the long lived varroa and the short lived
varroa?
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
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