Bees that attack varroa mites

[Anthony Appleyard]

Is here much proportion of honeybees that clean varroa off themselves or each other? I read somewhere about a hive of bees which routinely bit the legs off any varroa mites that they found.

See Acarinarium - Wikipedia for species of bees or wasps that carry particular species of mites about and leave them in their nests as hired guards. Some sorts have in the front of the abdomen a big "passenger cabin" to carry these mites.

 

[B+.]

Is here much proportion of honeybees that clean varroa off themselves or each other? I read somewhere about a hive of bees which routinely bit the legs off any varroa mites that they found.

See Acarinarium - Wikipedia for species of bees or wasps that carry particular species of mites about and leave them in their nests as hired guards. Some sorts have in the front of the abdomen a big "passenger cabin" to carry these mites.

I think you are referring to the "ankle biter" line developed by Purdue university. They attack the varroa mite because it is a parasite which they don't want in their colony. Consequently, the idea that the honeybee would intentionally "groom" mites is wrong.

EDIT: Here is a link to a Youtube video

 

[Pembroke]

Here's a couple of webpages you might like to look at.

https://westerham.kbka.org.uk/identifying-varroa-resistant-bees/
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bee-scientists-to-force-killer-mites-to-self-destruct
I remember hearing a talk from the Aberdeen scientists one year at the Welsh Beekeepers convention but nothing seems to have happened recently and the Gov report is dated 2010.

 

[Finman]

Westerhamn beekeepers have made an article about known bee colonies, which can resist mite. But not a word that colonies are hardly alive and many of those are not productive.

In Gotland winter cluster in 3 frames and such colony cannot over winter In Finland. And colony is so miten eaten that such cannot build up to honey producer during summer.

 

[oxnatbees]

In my experience all swarms taken locally have had no varroa problems.

 

[B+.]

In my experience all swarms taken locally have had no varroa problems.

Recently, there was quite a lot of discussion about the requirement to notify the NBU of the presence of varroa in an apiary. Do you think the default value of "Y" might suggest they believe that most, if not all, of England has varroa?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Recently, there was quite a lot of discussion about the requirement to notify the NBU of the presence of varroa in an apiary. Do you think the default value of "Y" might suggest they believe that most, if not all, of England has varroa?

The NBU certainly reckons my apiary is infested. When I went to tick the box they had already done it for me

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The NBU certainly reckons my apiary is infested. When I went to tick the box they had already done it for me

If you've had an inspector called then I think it automatically goes to Y

 

[pargyle]

If you've had an inspector called then I think it automatically goes to Y

I've not had an inspector and mine was ticked - I think the default position is ticked for varroa ... and probably right in most cases ...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think the default position is ticked for varroa ... and probably right in most cases ...

Try all

 

[user 20297]

Try all

...not in Scotland: Hello from Orkney

 

[pargyle]

...not in Scotland: Hello from Orkney

We can send you some if you feel left out ...

 

[user 20297]

We can send you some if you feel left out ...

That's very generous of you, but a fair number of them came to the Highlands as tourists and liked it so much that they stayed. Beebase also (correctly) assumed my hives had varroa.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

...not in Scotland: Hello from Orkney

I didn't realise that Scotland was in England (although historically it was part of Wales )

 

[user 20297]

I didn't realise that Scotland was in England (although historically it was part of Wales )

Thank you for that nugget of valuable information regarding the history of the nations of Great Britain. I'm sure you are also aware that Beebase, the Animal and Plant Health Agency's (APHA) National Bee Unit website, also covers Scotland and that anyone registed there is also subject to being placed in the default position of suffering the presence of varroa in all of their apiaries.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm also aware that Orkney and Shetland don't even consider themselves to be a part of Scotland - let alone Britain

 

[B+.]

Does anyone keep bees there?

 

[user 20297]

Does anyone keep bees there?

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/hello-from-orkney.50155/post-763869

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/hello-from-orkney.50155/post-763869

and there are others - there was one in Stromness who used to post on here

 

[oxnatbees]

Recently, there was quite a lot of discussion about the requirement to notify the NBU of the presence of varroa in an apiary. Do you think the default value of "Y" might suggest they believe that most, if not all, of England has varroa?

Colonies from local swarms must have some varroa, but their baseboards show only a coupe of mites a day, a few more in Spring then back to a couple a day later in the year. They have some method of keeping numbes down and manageable. When I started beekeeping, with Buckfasts, the numbers would just go up and up until reset with chemicals.