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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Christine Gray <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 25 Sep 2003 11:31:29 +0100
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From: "Peter Edwards" "Not sure how dust removal is going to help to
identify those colonies -
 surely most colonies remove any debris that they can carry?"

This is a key question.  In getting interested in dusts, I am assuming:
1  One (out of several possibilities) way bees acheive a sustainable balance
with varroa is to evolve to recognising varroa as an enemy and groom them
off fellow bees. At present, film studies show bees irritated by mites on
their backs but only ineffectively wiping them with their own legs. Bees can
bite varroa other bees but do not do this consistently (or do Russians?).
2  Dusting could encourage bees to use whatever degree of grooming habit
they have , to the full. Bees certainly clean up other bees that are sticky
, I am hoping they will clean up dusty companions - but I do not know this
happens and have been fishing on this list for responses.
3  If they do clean companions of dust, bees will at least inadvertently
knock into mites on bees' backs.  The dusts stop a mite getting a new grip
when dislodged, as they rely on sticky pads on their feet.  So grooming
dusts could be effective in increasing the fall of live mites, out thru
bottom screens.  Monitoring the fall should let us pick out the colonies
that have advanced most towards effective grooming - which we could breed
from.  Those colonies will still need help with biotechnical methods or
chemicals to fully reduce their mites , until they have evolved further to
effective grooming - so dusts would be the first teatment followed after a
few days by another method.

Am I on the right track?

Robin Dartington

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