Varroa? End of????

[Poly Hive]

From Beecraft.

http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/3/1/73

I have my fingers crossed over this one. A real ray of hope.

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

We have a couple of other little threads about this on here,below is one of them.

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=8141

 

[Storm™]

Reading through this article it comes to light that the "stuff" for want of a better phrase that does the business is introduced via intrahaemocoelic injection. Basically into their circulatory system. And also by total immersion for 72 hours also had good effects.

So if I am reading this right - both totally impractical. Which means - worryingly - that they will introduce it when finished - into the varroa and other types of lice, via the host organism. Or by baiting and hope they like it more than the bees. I wonder if they plan to feed the bees with it, hope it does nothing to them and then as the voarra attack the bees, they get it. I know there used to be a flea treatment for dogs like that, which then rendered the flee infertile. All the eggs were barren. But you had to get your dog to eat it first. Is this the plan??

 

[Arfermo]

From Beecraft.

http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/3/1/73

I have my fingers crossed over this one. A real ray of hope.

PH

It is going to quite a wait anyway and I don't think I'll have long enough!!!!
I'll try though.

 

[drstitson]

if you read all the stuff that has been written about this two things are clear.

1. the experiment was proof of principle. no target gene identified yet (need Varroa genome data for that).

2. NBU collaborators have shown that it can be feed to bees are transferred to brood that way (although how much is another matter).

interesting talk at the meeting yesterday - roehampton chap worked on fungal biocontrol til defra cut funding two years ago - field work by other teams showed that 10g fresh spores in feed would knock down varroa well (but 1g poorly stored spores didnt)

 

[drstitson]

sorry that should said rothampstead.

 

[Skyhook]

So really, we are looking at things that you feed to the bees, they feed it to the brood, the mites feding on the brood are killed. Not to my mind a very elegant delivery system- apart from anything else, it means at least another generation, probably more, after treatment that are attacked by mites and thus subject to damage and inffection, before the control takes effect.

There was talk of research into pheremone traps for varroa- has any more been heard of this? The plan would be something like sticky pads or false comb that smell of drone brood. Varroa enter, stick, dispose. Sounds to me like something that could be kept in place as much as you want, as long as the smell doesn't confuse the bees too much.

 

[drstitson]

pheromone traps

yes - apparently work was done - the only problem was that a nice warm box full of bees and brood out competed the lures!!!!!