LASI queens

[Eyeman]

Anyone have access to the paper that reports that in colonies 12 months after queen introduction varroa levels were 50% lower in the VSH stock compared to controls?

 

[clv101]

but to what purpose? it's all wishful thinking that it will make any noticeable difference anyway.

I thought his trial data was pretty clear, the evidence is far beyond 'wishful thinking'?

but your all hanging your hats on this mythical hygienic behaviour being any use against varroa.

Why do you say it's mythical? I thought his freeze kill experiments, repeated there times per colony showed 'hygienic behaviour' is clearly a thing and one that varies naturally. His subsequent breading has shown it's a trait that can be selected for.

Whatever anyone thinks of Ratnieks, it's clear that he has breed queens whose colonies are able to remove freeze killed larvae. And that these colonies go on to have fewer varroa than identified non-hygienic colonies.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

well it's not putting money into the pockets of LASI for sure. There is good research going on into DWV type 2 at the moment and it seems this hygienic business is just laying a smoke screen and confusing the whole issue. for now, OA sublimation seems the way forward (even Ratnieks slipped in that sublimation was needed on all his magic queens).
I very much doubt there is much genetic integrity to the whole LASI bee 'project' anyway.

 

[B+.]

Quote
Queen rearers could supply beekeepers with young virgin hygienic queens to mate locally.
Unquote

I think he is making a distinction between a hygienic queen and hygienic workers.
A hygienic queen could produce hygienic drones but the workers are diploid so it would depend on how many unrelated hygienic drones the queen mated with whether the worker phenotype was hygienic

 

[B+.]

in the VSH stock compared to controls?

I don't think he is claiming that they are VSH. This is different to hygienic

 

[B+.]

Whatever anyone thinks of Ratnieks, it's clear that he has breed queens whose colonies are able to remove freeze killed larvae.

The way people are talking, anyone would think he is the first person to produce hygienic bees. He isn't.

 

[B+.]

I very much doubt there is much genetic integrity to the whole LASI bee 'project' anyway.

I still haven't seen an answer to my question about their genetic background and pedigree. Without assurance that the trait is heritable, it will be "here today, gone tomorrow".
It is a pity, because I had hoped Prof Ratneiks would take this opportunity to reproduce the service offered in Europe (mainly Germany but increasingly in other countries) of providing good breeding stock to bee breeders in this country.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

So what do you suggest?

We could always trust the agrochemical companies to come up with a solution or leave it to the government I suppose.

It's the only possible long term solution I can see at the moment.

Or maybe you could let us into your secret solution?

I'm not sure this is entirely correct. Ron Hoskins "hygienic" bees, which operate in a slightly different mode (chewing the phoretic mites) have had some initial research done on them and it was found that they had a non-lethal form of DWV that protected them from the lethal form. More research on viruses seems to me to be the way forward but Ratnieks seems very quiet on the subject of DWV viruses. Maybe he's embarrassed that he did not think of this line of study.

Wouldn't it be ironic if we found that he hasn't been breeding hygienic bees but instead he's bred mites and bees that carry Type b DWV, just like Ron Hoskins'!

CVB

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Whatever anyone thinks of Ratnieks, it's clear that he has breed queens whose colonies are able to remove freeze killed larvae.

Fortunately I have never had a problem with freeze killed larvae in my colonies - I'm more concerned about the live larvae which may have varroa tucked into the cell with them

I still haven't seen an answer to my question about their genetic background and pedigree. Without assurance that the trait is heritable, it will be "here today, gone tomorrow".

Only answer he gave was that they started with some nice 'good queens' all from 'somewhere in Derbyshire'

I'm not sure this is entirely correct. Ron Hoskins "hygienic" bees, which operate in a slightly different mode (chewing the phoretic mites) have had some initial research done on them and it was found that they had a non-lethal form of DWV that protected them from the lethal form. More research on viruses seems to me to be the way forward but Ratnieks seems very quiet on the subject of DWV viruses. Maybe he's embarrassed that he did not think of this line of study.

Wouldn't it be ironic if we found that he hasn't been breeding hygienic bees but instead he's bred mites and bees that carry Type b DWV, just like Ron Hoskins'!

he really skirted around the subject of DWV apart from stating it killed colonies.

 

[Tremyfro]

Well...for better or worse...my hygienic queen is walzing around a nuc with her mop and bucket! The bees seem happy with her and she was busy checking the cells...presumably for cobwebs. She just needs to get mated now.

 

[Motobiman]

I think he is making a distinction between a hygienic queen and hygienic workers.
A hygienic queen could produce hygienic drones but the workers are diploid so it would depend on how many unrelated hygienic drones the queen mated with whether the worker phenotype was hygienic

The words are simple enough and dont need qualification to suit your clearly biased POV IMHO.

Believe what you will and go in peace.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Unlike the biased view of some who seem to believe without question that hygienic queens are the holy grail - the magic bullet to cure all our ills?

 

[BMH]

Well...for better or worse...my hygienic queen is walzing around a nuc with her mop and bucket! The bees seem happy with her and she was busy checking the cells...presumably for cobwebs. She just needs to get mated now.

ditto. one of my made up nucs had queen cells that failed to emerge and she was accepted easily as they were hopelessly queen less. fingers crossed she gets mated ok. weathers not looking great up here

 

[For want of a better word]

Did anyone order any of the hygienic virgin queens LASI were offering? I ordered one...she arrived today. Nothing on or in the envelope to identify where she came from. She looks like a virgin...slim belly.
I'm also waiting for my new carniolan queen from Pxxnes....so ended up having to call them to check if they had sent her out! They hadn't so it must be the LASI queen. I can't believe they didn't even put a note in with her.

A "special bee" for the Flow's hive no doubt!

You would be better off buying local instead of experimenting with imported bees IMOVHO

Nos da

 

[B+.]

Believe what you will and go in peace.

We all have biases and prejudices. Perhaps I am a little more open about mine

 

[mbc]

Well...for better or worse...my hygienic queen is walzing around a nuc with her mop and bucket! The bees seem happy with her and she was busy checking the cells...presumably for cobwebs. She just needs to get mated now.

Good luck with her, I don't really understand the knockers, I'm quite impressed they've followed it through to getting queens to market, I think I might order half a dozen and see how compatible they are with my bees.

 

[B+.]

She just needs to get mated now.

I know it is early days, but, do you intend to test the "hygienic" label?

 

[Itchy]

Don't think I'll be bumping off any of my queens for these without replacing them with my own

 

[Motobiman]

We all have biases and prejudices. Perhaps I am a little more open about mine

I would never have guessed.

 

[Obee1]

Never mind the commentary. The video conveys the picture I wanted Obee1 to see

Better late than never I watched the yoo toob clip. You are correct the picture is what I was after. A queen being dropped in a pot of honey and walked into an apidea . It's a real shame though that I can't understand a word - well maybe honnig - as it all looks fascinating stuff. Beautiful close ups of the bees too.
I assume you speak German B+?

Btw there is a downside. Yoo toob keeps suggesting lots of German vids for me to watch. ich spreche nicht Deutsche!- and my sad little attempt to do so keeps getting autocorrected into gobbledegook!