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Date: | Tue, 24 Oct 2023 13:21:32 -0500 |
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>The question of why honey bee breeders have not produced a varroa proof bee lies in what the limiting factors are.
And this is no doubt true. But this is also true of an AFB proof bee or any number of honey bee maladies... There are constraints on the biology of the honey bee and their response mechanisms that will always present limitations.
That said, there has been copious research and field trials that have come out over the past decade that paint a fairly clear picture of progress being made and the possibilities regarding a genetic solution to varroa if the industry at-large engages.
One recent one that stands out that I think speaks to the typical objections being raised recently on the pages of Bee-L is the following:
A derived honey bee stock confers resistance to Varroa destructor and associated viral transmission: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-08643-w
From the Abstract:
'Here, we characterise the parasite and viral dynamics of a Varroa-resistant honey bee stock, designated ‘Pol-line’, using a large-scale longitudinal study. Results demonstrate markedly reduced Varroa levels in this stock, diminished titres of three major viruses (DWV-A, DWV-B, and CBPV), and a two-fold increase in survival.'
So while I appreciate the objectives being raised as they stimulate discussion, I suspect that the hyperbole that is frequently employed misses the sometimes nuanced factors under consideration. If a commercial operator can buy stock in the vein of the Pol-Line that is similar in performance to their existing stock and would only have to treat half as often to achieve the same performance, I would suggest this is real progress.
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