Help me with my honey bee research

[OxfordBees]

Dear Beekeepers,

I am a researcher at Oxford University and I am hoping that you might be able to help me get started on a research project on honey bees. I would like to collect samples of honey bees and Varroa from across the UK to analyse their viral and bacterial content. I intend to look for the sequence of a specific set of microbes as I would like to know if they occur naturally in honey bees or Varroa. I would also like to assess the prevalence of certain honey bee viruses in UK populations. It is my hope that I could use this information to help formulate a simple (non-transgenic) strategy against honey bee viruses such as DWV.

I know it’s probably a bit late in the season to be asking this, but what I need is a sample of 8-10 honey bees (and 8-10 varroa if possible, but not essential) from a colony from each volunteer. The bees and Varroa would preferably be freshly killed to ensure the quality of the sample. I would send you some sample containers and a postage paid envelope for their return. I cannot offer any payment as I have no funding for this project but I would be very grateful for any samples received. It is my hope that the preliminary data I obtain, will assist in my applications for research funding for a sort of anti-viral treatment for honey bees. I want to emphasise that this is academic, not-for-profit research.

If you send me a private message with your name and address, I will send the sample containers out to you.

Please feel free to ask me any questions about this research.

You have my deepest appreciation,

Kirsty

 

[ellypatt]

Hi Kirsty,

You have my email! We're treating for varroa so don't know if they'll be any good to you, but are going down on Fri if you'd like to come and get some bees.

Elly

 

[Tom Bick]

Most people are treating for varroa at the moment and this will in the most cases be with a Thymol based treatment so no problem on dead varroa but this may not be good for you? Other than the currant varroa drop the only other realistic way to get varroa is from natural drop without treatments as in when they drop through the hive dead and onto the inspection tray.

If you are happy to receive varroa killed through thymol treatments and may be up to 7 days old I will be happy to send you a few samples.

 

[drstitson]

presumably any anti-varroa treatment will not effect viral load of mites or bees in terms of what OP is wanting to study.

 

[OxfordBees]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your question. Thymol treatment shouldn't be a problem, it shouldn't affect the DNA or RNA in the bees or mites. With regards to the mites already being dead; it should be fine as long as they haven't dried out. If you select the mites that are still quite squishy and moist, there should be some DNA in there for me to use.

Also I didn't not realise I cannot PM people yet- so I want to thank those who have replied to me already, I will send out some sample containers tomorrow.

A reply to Ella's question regarding muliple colonies (via PM): If I could have one set of bees and varroa from the buckfast hive and a set of samples made up of a couple of bees and varroa from each of your 3 mongrel colonies, that would be great! I will send you 4 sample containers for that.

Thanks so much!

Kirsty