Research says keep hives a distance apart

[user 6228]

Nolan, M. P., & Delaplane, K. S. (2016). Distance between honey bee Apis mellifera colonies regulates populations of Varroa destructor at a landscape scale. Apidologie, (June). http://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-016-0443-9

looks like we need to space those hives apart for better survival

Abstract – Inter-colony distance of Apis mellifera significantly affects colony numbers of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor . We set up 15 apiaries, each consisting of two colonies. Each apiary pair was assigned an inter-colony distance of 0, 10, or 100m. Colonies were rendered nearly mite-free, then one colony in each pair was seeded with 300 female mites (mite-donor colony), while the other remained uninoculated (mite-recipient colony). After 4 months of monitoring, a whole-model analysis showed that apiaries in which colonies were spaced 100m apart contained lower averagemite numbers than 0 or 10m apiaries. There were interactions among colony type, distance, and sampling date; however, when there were significant differences, mite numbers were always lower in 100m apiaries than 10m apiaries. These findings pose the possibility that Varroa populations are resource regulated at a landscape scale: near-neighbor colonies constitute reproductive resource for mites in the form of additional bee brood.

 

[For want of a better word]

Simple epidemiology... Bubonic plague/ smallpox / cholera thrives in crowded cities!

Nos da

 

[oliver90owner]

What a well documented expriment.

''300 female mites'' - are there any male mites ?!? I think they have done this work but don't know the basics of varroa life cycle. This alone makes me wonder at their ability. Seem like amateurs.

We should all know that bees 'drift' between hives when hives are close, and particularly in a regimented row, so nothing new here. There are other mechanisms for transfer of mites from colony to colony; clearly slower, but there all the same. Lastly, we all know it is extreeemly difficult to eradicate all mites from a colony in a short period.

So it might slow the mite population increase, but requires other intervention to avoid eventual colony death. Replace the word 'better' with 'longer' maybe?

 

[Motobiman]

Makes sense but clearly more research is needed to ascertain if and how the transfer occurs and if there is a way to minimise it.

Can it only rely on bee to bee contact, robbing and drifting?

Yes there are male mites.

Adult males are yellowish with light tan legs and spherical body shape measuring 0.75 to 0.98 mm long and 0.70 to 0.88 wide. The male chelicerae are modified for transferring sperm.

 

[Madge]

What a well documented expriment.

''300 female mites'' - are there any male mites ?!? I think they have done this work but don't know the basics of varroa life cycle. This alone makes me wonder at their ability. Seem like amateurs. ...

But the male mites hatch inside the bee cell and never see daylight - so, how would you have introduced male mites?

Kitta

 

[domino]

Interesting stuff, although I'd struggle to place my hives 10m apart let alone 100m.

 

[dn170221]

It is always interesting to read the actual study then the headline.
I remember about 7 years ago research came out claiming that infants in front facing buggies were more stressed than those in rear facing buggies. Understandably when the headline came out my wife was worried that our new born would be stressing in our front facing buggie. It turns out reading the research that
1) The way they measured stress was by checking heart rate and an elevated heart rate was meant to indicate stress. As if children in a front facing buggie might simply be more stimulated.
2) The difference in heart rate was tiny I think on average a few heart beats per minute.

SOMETIMES I think people do research and are either trying to justify it with a headline or the people reporting it go looking for a headline.


In this case if they had measured varroa loads in the hive that started with 300 mites, it would be interesting to see if the loads had gone down in those hives that were near another hive. The headline could then read "keep hives close together to keep maximum varroa load down"

 

[Motobiman]

But the male mites hatch inside the bee cell and never see daylight - so, how would you have introduced male mites?

Kitta

Maybe because there are two genders of mites they just wanted to make it clear which they were introducing for this particular experiment?

If not someone would probably ask.

 

[masterBK]

If I remember correctly aren't male Varroa produced by pathenogenesis from unfertilised eggs ie they are haploid like drone bees.

 

[wessexmario]

''300 female mites'' - are there any male mites ?!? I think they have done this work but don't know the basics of varroa life cycle. This alone makes me wonder at their ability. Seem like amateurs.

Outside of brood cells? no.

Male varroa mites are born and die in the same brood cell, the first born offspring of a female varroa is a male (varroa use the same sex-determination mechanism as honey bees - males come from an unfertilised egg), that first male then goes on to mate with all his subsequent sibling sisters.
Very few male mites survive for any time once the brood cell is uncapped. They're also quite different and can easily be distinguished from the females, being much smaller and a lighter colour. So yes, it might be laborious counting them but quite feasible to start the experiment with the quoted "300 female mites".

 

[Madge]

Maybe because there are two genders of mites they just wanted to make it clear which they were introducing for this particular experiment?

If not someone would probably ask.

Why did you quote me? I can't see any link with what I've said.

 

[Madge]

If I remember correctly aren't male Varroa produced by pathenogenesis from unfertilised eggs ie they are haploid like drone bees.

That's interesting - and I don't know the answer.

 

[Motobiman]

Why did you quote me? I can't see any link with what I've said.

Oh right. I actually asked a question and you seemed to know what you were talking about but never mind.

There seems to be a bit missing from this description - the actual fertilisation but it does seem unfertilised mite eggs are male.

UF/IFAS

Once worker bees have capped the cell, the larva consumes the remaining brood food, thus freeing the mite. The freed mite climbs onto the larva and begins feeding. The mite defecates on the upper part of the cell wall while feeding on the bee. Shortly thereafter, the mite lays its first egg on the surface of the cell wall. The egg is unfertilized and will develop into a male mite. Subsequent fertilized eggs are oviposited by the female mite toward the back of the cell approximately every 25 to 30 hours. These hatch into female mites.

 

[fatshark]

''300 female mites'' - are there any male mites ?!? I think they have done this work but don't know the basics of varroa life cycle. This alone makes me wonder at their ability. Seem like amateurs.

I presume you are referring to Keith Delaplane ... http://www.ent.uga.edu/bees/personnel/delaplane.html

Aside from his 75+ scientific papers and honorary MBE for services to bee health and being ex-National Director of one of the USA's managed agricultural pollinator programmes and his very clear understanding of the Varroa life cycle I don't see why you're calling him an amateur.

 

[wessexmario]

The paper does seem to add weight against the argument that unmanaged feral colonies of bees are reservoirs of diseases including varroa. In most species, increasing population density increases the rate of disease transmission. Given that bees have a natural preference to much larger distances between colonies [Tom Seeley] than we provide between managed hives, it may well be that remote and rural feral colonies are amongst the healthiest.

It could also be a major factor in disease transmission where migratory beekeeping is done.
If there are multiple hives being transported together, then their close proximity for the duration of the journey could be just enough to ensure that if one colony has a disease, it's likely to be transferred to many others. And if many diseases are present, all the colonies get a share of everything. Could this be a factor in Colony Collapse Disorder?

 

[oliver90owner]

-don't see why you're calling him an amateur.

Not looked at it any further, but stating 'female' mites is about at one of the poster's level in this thread.

Male mites do not survive out of the cell. Even if they did for a while, they would not enter a cell like a phoretic mite. So all phoretic mites are female. FACT.

Making papers like this seems to be pathetic. We all know that larger separation will reduce mite drifting but will clearly not prevent mites spreading from colony to colony. Talk about proving the obvious. Only one poster on this thread (other than yourself) seems to think this paper has any particular merit. If the other 75+ are of similar worth (and I'm not checking) it might show that either he is presenting reports without proper reading, knowledge or something else.

I still consider, from what has been posted here, that this paper is amateurish and about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

 

[Madge]

What a well documented expriment.

''300 female mites'' - are there any male mites ?!? ...

... but stating 'female' mites is about at one of the poster's level in this thread.

Male mites do not survive out of the cell. Even if they did for a while, they would not enter a cell like a phoretic mite. So all phoretic mites are female. FACT.
....

I think you caused the confusion with your first post, Oliver. It sounded as though you thought the tester should also have introduced male mites - coming from you, that surprised me mightily. Most of us understand the life cycle of varroa, and I'm glad to see you do as well!

(Or maybe I just misunderstood your post ...)
Kitta

 

[user 6228]

it can be argued that there is a need to verify and restate the 'obvious' when the common practice is to ignore the 'obvious'.
i.e. having large numbers of hives in very close proximity to each other. hoping for reductions in disease spread.

 

[oliver90owner]

Sorry if you were confused initially, kitta.

Just about everybody should know there are only female phoretic mites. If you don't, then you should have looked it up. I am not going to spell out everything in every post. Sometimes others need to actually check things out, do something for themselves. Why do you think I said 'amatuerish'? Was that not a clue?

 

[fatshark]

You appear to be missing the point. You quoted a scientific paper where it would be necessary and required to state the sex of the mites to avoid ambiguity. The editors/peer reviewers would have asked for this if it had been omitted in the submission. What was written was completely accurate and not at all misleading.

Unlike your post.

You didn't state 'phoretic' mites ... you gave every indication you were criticising the "amateurs" (your opinion) who had written the paper for not also using male mites.

If you choose to use this forum to insult people unable to defend themselves then at least do so in better English.