Purple Hive Project-Varroa D

[Antipodes]

I have a feeling that someone has already provided a link to this, but I can't find it on here at the moment.

Anyhow, if they haven't, I'm wondering what thoughts are about it please?

Purple Protection: Frontline defence against varroa mite

A team which has worked on the Mars Rover project have designed a beehive using tiny cameras and artificial intelligence to detect and prevent hitch-hiking varroa mites from entering our ports.

www.abc.net.au

The above link seems fuzzy, The vision is clearer on this link actually.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=324560055333963

 

[Buzzlodge]

Putting electronic detectors looking for hitchhiking varroa on bees entering hives as a way to detect varroa incursions is probably the least effective way to do it.
Video gave no indication of the accuracy of this method, rate of false alarms, or even if they had working prototypes.
And even if it worked the cost would be huge and disproportionate.
Stated this was good way to detect varroa as beekeepers wouldn't have to open their hives too often...!!
Also photo of phoretic varroa was wrong per Dr Ramsey, showing varroa sitting on bee thorax, so if thats what they look for they won't find much
I'm sure there might be research uses for the technology, monitoring hive movements etc but not as advertised here.

 

[Finman]

Very strange.

 

[Apple]

"The blood-sucking parasite, Varroa mite, is deadly to bees"

Jesus!... it's the FAT BODY... as discovered by that American pastors son PhD student.... haven't they seen the video???
"If you don't know the answer... shout Jesus"
AMEN!
Link Please!!

 

[The Poot]

I really hope they are successful, because they’ll be disappointed trying to find life on Mars

 

[oxnatbees]

Where could we possibly get an army of tiny programmed grooming bots?

 

[gmonag]

As we have found, the problem is not so much in managed hives but in feral colonies. The robbing behaviour the bees have will ensure re-infection. I feel a better approach is to plan for the arrival and coping with varroa as the rest of the world does. That also aplies to us re. SHB and Asian Hornets.
I wish them success though.