Parasite left behind after varroa falls off?

[Hivemaker.]

A focus should be made on virus contaminated imported honey and even prion research...

Which viruses in honey? And why only imported honey,why not all food/honey, imported or not.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Just to jump in with another suggestion,

Nosema Ceranae is of course a parasite, (microsporidian), a spore forming parasite which attacks the middle intestine of bees. Not much fun to be a bee in this case. Strong colonies with a low varroa load and the associated viruses should be able to cope.

Hivemaker would say, treat with the right concentration of thymol and varroa and nosema are under control.

 

[itma]

Hi, can anyone shed any light on the following comment received in an email?

"John has lost 4 colonies and he told me he had the bee inspector out and he though it was a parasite left behind after the varroa mite falls off? ... "

Can we know how many colonies John had going into winter? (Losing 4/4 ain't the same as 4/100.)

And what his colonies' history of Varroa treatment might be?


Perhaps, for his own clarification, John should re-contact his inspector (maybe by email) for clarification as to exactly what was said.
And then circulate the reply.

 

[For want of a better word]

A focus should be made on virus that may be found in contaminated ( possibly imported )honey and even prion research...
Mad cow / bee disease?

I am not pointing any fingers, however there seems to be very little research into the way that " new" virus arrive into the uk...

The varroa mite I presume was brought in from overseas with living bees... unless bees made it the 22 miles from Calais under their own steam?

Playing devil's advocate and the precautionary principle card I wonder if all honey bee products imported into this country should be prohibited until surety can be given that new bugs are not going to arrive from somewhere to devastate the UK bee population.

That would put the price of honey up !

​

 

[Black Comb]

This is a wonderful thread. No one knows what the question is but no shortage of suggestions.

So here's my 5 pennyworth...

Varroa remains the number one cause of bee deaths in the UK. Nationally, winter losses are running at about 20% which is much higher than in pre-varroa days where IIRC it was around 5%. Although of course other diseases and starvation will claim some colonies in the winter the majority seem to to succumb to viruses spread by varroa.

I attended a talk last year by a chap from the NBU. They have winter loss records going back to WW2.
He showed a graph - OK losses since turn of century increasing but can't remember anything as low as 5%.

Victor M (John Williams) was there I think. Perhaps he can confirm?

 

[tkwinston4]

Can we know how many colonies John had going into winter? (Losing 4/4 ain't the same as 4/100.)

And what his colonies' history of Varroa treatment might be?


Perhaps, for his own clarification, John should re-contact his inspector (maybe by email) for clarification as to exactly what was said.
And then circulate the reply.

It was 4 out of 4 and that is as much as I know. I was copied in on the email for my comments from someone else. Unfortunately I don't even know John.

Sorry I cant be any further help but I was just after your thoughts and opinions.

Maybe I shouldn't have asked without 100% of the facts. Soz.

 

[Hivemaker.]

The varroa mite I presume was brought in from overseas with living bees... unless bees made it the 22 miles from Calais under their own steam?
[/CENTER]

No doubt it arrived on bees,and i expect small hive beetle will arrive in a pot plant or some imported fruit or veg,so should we also ban that,maybe they could be in some mud stuck to somones boots/shoes,should we ban people from travelling around the world. The virus to do with the problem with sheep/lambs was blown in on the wind with midges.

 

[For want of a better word]

The upshot is that diseases will move around the world and have been doing so since time began... the problem is how to manage them to delay their spread until we learn how to control them.

We are lucky to live on an island... but sometimes it seems we are tenuously connected to every pox ridden corner of this little blue green planet!

The light at the end of the tunnel is that smallpox has been eradicated ( but in some laboratory freezer somewhere in the world it lives on)

As to the OP I think it was a simplistic way to say varroa was the virus vector!

​

 

[Hebeegeebee]

No doubt it arrived on bees,and i expect small hive beetle will arrive in a pot plant or some imported fruit or veg,so should we also ban that,maybe they could be in some mud stuck to somones boots/shoes,should we ban people from travelling around the world. The virus to do with the problem with sheep/lambs was blown in on the wind with midges.

In East Anglia we often get loads of ladybirds that fly in from the continent.

Interestingly enough I went to NZ in 2010 and my luggage was lost. However it was opened by customs and they (well someone) kindly steam-cleaned a pair of trainers that were in the case. So once the case arrived, all clean! Such is their concern about importing nasties into the country. They will not allow bees but only bee semen into the country.
(The didn't know I was a beekeeper btw).

 

[RoofTops]

They take bio-security seriously in Oz as well, but neither country is close to another like we are or have thousands of vehicles arriving every day by boat and rail. It seems likely the new sheep disease, Schwallemburg, probably came in on a returning sheep truck rather than the little midges flying a few hundred miles against the prevailing westerlies.

 

[Hivemaker.]

They will not allow bees but only bee semen into the country.

I read an interesting post on Gavins SBF about this,how Daykel apairies imported carnica drone semen into NZ to turn the Italian queens into NZ Carni's,and a link to the NZ forum,where some were not amused. Been easier to just smuggle in a few breeder queens

 

[Finman]

I read an interesting post on Gavins SBF about this,how Daykel apairies imported carnica drone semen into NZ to turn the Italian queens into NZ Carni's,and a link to the NZ forum,where some were not amused. Been easier to just smuggle in a few breeder queens

But that official explanation is needed (a virgin birth)

 

[chrismcd]

Possible explanation? Varroa shortens winter bee lifetimes

Varroa feed on the haemolymph of the larvae, since that is where bees store a lot of their protein.

Parasitised winter bees, short on protein, will have their lifespan reduced significantly by varroa and may well die before the spring build up.

Winter Oxalic treatment is all very well. But if you get a large varroa drop in December it means the little sods have been feasting on your winter bees when they were larvae in September and October

https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/index.cfm?pageid=93

So, you are likely to get your bees dying prematurely in March. And it might explain what the Bee Inspector was trying to tell him.

Sorry to be a Jobs comforter

 

[tkwinston4]

Varroa feed on the haemolymph of the larvae, since that is where bees store a lot of their protein.

Parasitised winter bees, short on protein, will have their lifespan reduced significantly by varroa and may well die before the spring build up.

Winter Oxalic treatment is all very well. But if you get a large varroa drop in December it means the little sods have been feasting on your winter bees when they were larvae in September and October

https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/index.cfm?pageid=93

So, you are likely to get your bees dying prematurely in March. And it might explain what the Bee Inspector was trying to tell him.

Sorry to be a Jobs comforter

Well that is very helpful and easy to understand - thanks x

 

[DanBee]

This is a wonderful thread. No one knows what the question is but no shortage of suggestions.

 

[itma]

It was 4 out of 4 and that is as much as I know. I was copied in on the email for my comments from someone else. Unfortunately I don't even know John. ...

4/4 is upsetting indeed.
Absolutely right to get an opinion from the inspector.

But my guess (nothing more) is that the take-away was just supposed to be "you can't ignore varroa - it opens the door to other problems."