Research - Bee Age Discrimination

[charlievictorbravo]

The BBKA News reports on Page 268 that an American researcher, Zachary Huang of Michigan State University, has finalised his work on the above subject. His conclusion: "our report clearly demonstrated that varroa mites preferred nurse bees over the older and younger bees"

Well. I'm no academic and not a very experienced beekeeper but if somebody had asked me where you were most likely to find Varroa mites, I'd say "on nurse bees" - it's stating the bl**ding obvious. They're the bees nearest to the larvae cells where mites breed. What success in breeding would a mite have if it consistently hitched a ride on a forager, out of the hive when brood cells were being closed up? Feeding on a young bee, busy cleaning up cells the other side of the comb from where larvae are developing in cells, wouldn't be much better either.

Research funds must be easier to find in the USA if this is the sort of thing they can get money to investigate!

CVB

 

[B+.]

if somebody had asked me where you were most likely to find Varroa mites, I'd say "on nurse bees" - it's stating the bl**ding obvious.

I agree, but someone had to verify it

 

[MuswellMetro]

I agree, but someone had to verify it

someone already has in 1993 (taken that V.destructor was then thought to be the same as V.jacobsoni )

 

[birdsandbees]

I'm going to apply for a research grant and spend three years investigating whether Bears actually do deficate in the woods... After all 'someone has to verify it'

 

[user 6228]

If it was really new and out there, challenging accepted wisdom ... it would be really difficult to write a convincing proposal for funding

 

[Finman]

.
Ban the rearchers!