bbc inside out south west

[pargyle]

I find it quite interesting ... I've noticed immature varroa on my inspection boards but thought that this was just the mites in the cells that didn't survive and were cleared out when the bees cleaned the cells. I've never seen a single case of DWV in my hives either but I can't say that I've ever noticed baby bee antennae on the boards although, to to be honest, I've never looked that close. I haven't noticed any pupae being removed from the hives either.

I'm hopeful that the traits demonstrated in Ron Hoskins' bees will be replicated elsewhere in treatment free colonies - I really don't know if my bees could be considered as 'hygienic' and to even think about this I would be clutching at straws but .. I know several beekeepers that are treatment free - one of them for over 8 years - and like me they are finding that the bees are coping.

So ... who knows ? There appears to be hope for the future .... and backed by some science.

 

[For want of a better word]

I find it quite interesting ... I've noticed immature varroa on my inspection boards but thought that this was just the mites in the cells that didn't survive and were cleared out when the bees cleaned the cells. I've never seen a single case of DWV in my hives either but I can't say that I've ever noticed baby bee antennae on the boards although, to to be honest, I've never looked that close. I haven't noticed any pupae being removed from the hives either.

I'm hopeful that the traits demonstrated in Ron Hoskins' bees will be replicated elsewhere in treatment free colonies - I really don't know if my bees could be considered as 'hygienic' and to even think about this I would be clutching at straws but .. I know several beekeepers that are treatment free - one of them for over 8 years - and like me they are finding that the bees are coping.

It wasn't but...
It would appear there are two separate things going on with Mr H's bees

Firstly they have a virus similar to the DWV the honeybee population suffers from in the UK, that is infecting the bees and preventing DWV from showing its symptoms, and secondly an trait of removing varroa infected larvae, whether this is learnt behavior or genetically driven is unsure?

My concern is we could bring in new strains of virus into our honeybee population by continued uncontrolled importation of queens and or bees, and this stupidity may bring in a novel virus that could decimate our bees.

as MrP says....


So ... who knows ? There appears to be hope for the future .... and backed by some science.

Yeghes da

 

[pargyle]

[/I]

Yeghes da

Yes MIA CULPA ... a misunderstanding on my part, previously, of what was going on ... the information now available shows clearly that it's not an introduced alternative virus but one which has evolved ... and it is this evolved strain that does not have the destructive element of what most of us recognise as DWV - but its presence is keeping the 'normal' strain of DWV at bay.

If it were a virus that had been introduced to the bees then I would have some major concerns but as it appears to have developed, unaided, apart from by selective breeding, within Ron Hoskins bees then that meets my premise of what constitutes a low interference regime.

I think it's good ... and I hope his project continues to flourish.

 

[For want of a better word]

If it were a virus that had been introduced to the bees then I would have some major concerns but as it appears to have developed, unaided, apart from by selective breeding, within Ron Hoskins bees then that meets my premise of what constitutes a low interference regime.

This virus development seem to be something that virus is good at.. single nucleotide polymorphism at play ???... altering the virus genetically, and often after very few generations, and hopefully to beekeeping benefit!

Deserves funding at EU level to research it thoroughly.
Nos da

 

[BeeJayBee]

BBC programs are generally not available outside the UK and are usually only available within the UK for about 4 weeks.

However, someone has been kind enough to add the film clip on Face Book making it available all over the world using the link below.

The second link is the Declan Schroeder ISME paper.

https://www.facebook.com/beethechange.heathershoneybees/videos/641264936011359

http://www.nature.com/ismej/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ismej2015186a.html

Excellent stuff.

I'm guessing that Swinbee is Ron Hoskins, or a colleague?