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Subject:
30 years of varroa research
From:
Peter Borst <[log in to unmask]>
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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 29 Oct 2017 20:28:37 -0400
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30 years of varroa research

Knowing that Africanized bees are resistant to the mite suggests that varroa-tolerant European races of bees could be developed. Toward this end, it is important to understand the basis for this resistance. — Camazine, S. (1986). Differential reproduction of the mite, Varroa jacobsoni (Mesostigmata: Varroidae), on Africanized and European honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 79(5), 801-803.

The percentage of mites without offspring may be an important criterion for selecting Varroa-resistant bees. — De Ruijter, A. (1987). Reproduction of Varroa jacobsoni during successive brood cycles of the honeybee. Apidologie, 18(4), 321-326.

Suppressed mite reproduction (SMR) is a heritable trait of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) that can control the parasitic mite, Varroa destructor. — Harbo, J. R., & Harris, J. W. (2005). Suppressed mite reproduction explained by the behaviour of adult bees. Journal of Apicultural Research, 44(1), 21-23.

Mite resistance that we had earlier called suppression of mite reproduction (SMR) is a form of hygienic behaviour that we have named Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH). With VSH, adult worker bees (Apis meiiifera) disrupt the reproduction of parasitic mites (Varroa destructor) by removing mite infested bee pupae from their cells. — Harbo, J. R., & Harris, J. W. (2009). Responses to Varroa by honey bees with different levels of Varroa Sensitive Hygiene. Journal of apicultural research, 48(3), 156-161.

This chapter describes the case of natural selection of honeybees in France against varroa. Different hypotheses have been tested to explain this phenomenon, such as resistance of the bees to the mite or to the associated viruses and the lower virulence of the mites. We found that the reproduction of the mite and/or the varroa sensitive hygiene are probably key factors in the survival of those bees. — Le Conte, Y., & Mondet, F. (2017). Natural Selection of Honeybees Against Varroa destructor. In Beekeeping–From Science to Practice (pp. 189-194). Springer, Cham.

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